Peer Pressure
by abc79-de
Summary: Fourth installment in the WHW series. A Trory, of course. And, you know a billion other pairings. Epilogue Posted. Complete!
1. Chapter 1

Title: Peer Pressure

Summary: Fourth installment in the WHW series. A Trory, of course. And, you know a billion other pairings.

Rating: T, for teen. Because there are so many of them running about.

AN: Katherine is evil and she made me do it. It's my only defense. Send any hate mail to her. I only like pretty things to be said in my presence. Hehe. The title says it all, doesn't it?

* * *

A loud knock came to the door of his bedroom, the only room in the entire two bedroom apartment that wasn't ransacked and left in shambles, as if they were being robbed each and every night of their lives and never bothering to clean up the mess. His room was ever neat and orderly, if not filled to the brim with books and other belongings from his and his loved ones' travels. If he got one more "My Family Went To (Insert Place Name Here) And All I Got Was This Lousy T-Shirt," he'd scream. His sister thought this was an especially funny joke, and he had one from nearly every country in the world from her business and pleasure travels of the world.

"Enter!" he called as he continued to pour over his pre-reading for his advanced business course that he'd be starting with the new semester in three weeks.

"Cranky!" Dave Melville admonished him.

"Well, if your crap wasn't strewn all over the apartment to the point that I can't even find a path from my room to the refrigerator, maybe my blood sugar wouldn't be dipping so dangerously low," Will Danes shook his head at his best friend and roommate.

"Is that your way of saying you aren't going to help me pack?"

Will looked up in disgust. "How is it that you aren't done by now? You've been engaged for eight months. Your wedding is in two weeks. This is not news to you. Why the last minute preparations that involve ruining my life?"

"Funny. Seriously, I'm going to sign the lease papers with Mal, can you just shove some of my clothes in the back of your car and follow me over?"

"No. I'm studying. I have to get all this done, and be your best man, and help Ella move into the dorms, and--," he continued, but Dave wasn't listening. He was already out the door and down the hall.

"Just quit whining and help me!" he called.

"Perfect," Will muttered, closing his book with a bookmark. "Just perfect."

He reached over and pulled his sneakers out of his closet, not looking forward to moving in the sweltering August heat. He was just happy enough to sit in his air-conditioned room, reading for a bit before heading over to his parents' house for dinner. It was much easier to navigate around their house as of late. Dave had been 'packing' for the last month. Every day a few more half-filled boxes cluttered their mutual living space. More things that Dave owned got disassembled and left one more thing of Will's without a resting place. Will would just be glad when he could start to live in something that didn't resemble a national disaster area.

Another knock came to his door frame, and without turning around, he practically growled, "I wouldn't push my luck if I were you."

"Man, I go away for one day and you didn't miss me at all?" came the playful voice from the safety of the doorframe.

Will stood suddenly and spun around, already advancing on his girlfriend. "You're back already?" he enveloped her into a consuming hug.

"What's with the 'tude?" she giggled after he kissed her gratefully.

"Your brother," he started, closing his eyes in frustration. She kissed him once more, to alleviate any and all cares he had. She was good at that. He had missed her more in one day that he thought possible of missing someone in an entire lifetime.

"I was planning on taking you out when you got back tomorrow," he confessed.

"So, take me out tonight," she shrugged. "I got my classes all registered in Hartford," she smiled. She was transferring schools to finish up her classes and be able to move in with Will after Dave's wedding. She had left to do her official new/transfer student orientation and register for classes, scheduled for two days and she'd decided it would be easier to just stay in a hotel overnight, for free because the owner of the hotel near Connecticut State was a friend of her mother and Lorelai's.

"How is that possible?"

"Well, I registered this morning, and I was bored before the official tour, so I just sort of went scouting around with a girl I met during the early morning welcome speech the dean of our school made. After that I didn't see much point in sitting around talking about starting college. I've sort of been there, done that. And I missed you," she paused, sharing a knowing look with him. "Can you believe they had us all up at 7 a.m. for breakfast and the welcoming speech today? That is so not what college is about! I'm so glad I spent the night so close to campus, it was easy to zombie-walk over," she laughed.

"Yeah, you're not a morning person," he tousled her hair. "Well, Dave has roped me into helping him take a load over to the new apartment in New Haven. You can stay here and rest on my bed if you want," he offered, being the ultimate of good boyfriends.

"Nah," she smiled softly. "I'd rather hang with you. We'll just retire early," she put her arms back around his neck and pulled in close, looking up into his eyes.

"Oh, really?" he smiled back, holding her as close as humanly possible to him. He descended his lips down to hers, barely brushing over her lips with his own.

"Oh, Jeez!" came the sound of protest from the hall. "Get a room!"

"We have one!" Will kicked the door shut, causing Anna to giggle through the kiss he planted on her lips, as Dave pounded on the door.

"Stop mauling my little sister and get your butt in gear!"

"I hate him," Will informed her.

"You're his best man."

"That says something, doesn't it?" Will groaned as he opened the door for Anna to pass through before shutting his room away from the mess that he had to walk through to get out to the car, where Dave had already loaded his belongings to the point that not one more bit of stuff could be packed in.

XXXX

Lorelai smiled and thanked the guests as they checked out, ready to take a five minute coffee break. Or a fifteen, she mused as she checked the clock to see that she'd been working non-stop behind the counter for the last two hours. It amazed her how time flew at her Inn. She was pointing out an item to check on later to one of the maids on her way upstairs as Sookie came flying around the edge of the staircase, pastry bag in hand.

Lorelai caught the other end of the bag and Sookie's shoulder to halt her.

"No nuts!" Sookie exclaimed.

"What?" Lorelai asked, trying to make the mental leaps, but sometimes with her best friend of the past thirty years, it just wasn't in the cards. She needed more information.

"Nuts! I had this beautiful wooded-themed cake planned, with real flowers and nuts on the fondant icing, with one layer of the cake sprinkled with fine nuts chopped up in the batter, and a Thai chicken in peanut glaze for an appetizer, not to mention--," she didn't even take a breath as she listed off her many nut-based recipes that Lorelai knew were planned for the wedding of her eldest son, Davey. Sookie had insisted on doing all the cooking, as well as having mother of the groom duties—worrying and kibitzing—but no matter who tried to talk her out of it, she'd not backed down. Just like with her own wedding. And now, she was starting to crack.

Lorelai held in the smile that Michel owed her thirty bucks. He'd bet she'd crack in the final hour, at the rehearsal dinner.

"What's wrong with nuts? Take me through it; did our vendor not come through? 'Cause we can work around that."

"Mallory is allergic," Sookie said in disbelief.

"What?"

"Allergic," she said phonetically, sounding it out as if Lorelai were unfamiliar with the concept.

"Well, she can't marry into this family," Lorelai scoffed playfully.

"Not funny!"

"Why is this just coming up now?"

"Davey didn't know," Sookie threw her hands up in the air, still clutching the pastry bag. "'Make anything you want, Mom,' he told me, 'You're such a lovely chef, Mom,' he said. 'You know best!' I had no idea he'd never gotten to know his intended bride well enough to know that I was planning an entire wedding meal for her that would land her in the hospital, clinging to life, cursing me and my kitchen!"

"Whoa, there Sook," Lorelai took the flailing and full pastry bag out of her hands and put her arm around Sookie. "Let's just brainstorm, we caught it early, we can fix this."

"I've been planning and carefully constructing this for months! I can't start over with two weeks to go!"

Lorelai knew the level of work Sookie had put into this affair. For her baby, everything had been coordinated to a T, each dish complimenting each other and the theme that had been chosen for the wedding. Colors, songs, wines, and pictures had been taken into consideration. Sookie was devastated.

"It'll all be okay. We'll get the kids in here tomorrow and we'll figure it out. It will be okay. In the end, it's just important that no one goes into anaphylactic shock during the reception, right?"

"Especially the bride," Sookie half-giggled. "I'm going to kill Davey," she broke out into more giggles.

"Then you wouldn't have to worry about the nuts," Lorelai nodded, laughing along with her friend as she led her back into the kitchen to get both of them some coffee.

XXXX

"I'm home!" Tristan DuGrey called as he threw his keys across the countertop. He'd had meetings all morning and had planned to take off the rest of the day to help his wife shop for more last minute dorm accessories to surprise Ella with when she got back from the city with Jake tonight. Ella and Jake had been in New York City with Jess, Ambrose, and Jules Mariano all week, for their annual child trade. Rory and Tristan had Jules and Ambrose the week before, and normally it served the suddenly childless parents to do all the pre-school shopping and have some much needed alone time. This year it'd allowed Jess to finally have some much needed alone time with his officially new girlfriend, Gwen, as well as do all the back to school shopping all by himself for the first time ever. His divorce had been finalized the month before, and he was handling it all quite well.

Tristan and Rory had been by his side the whole time and glad to do it. But Tristan had been looking forward to this week, especially because of the lack of alone time he and Rory had experienced this summer. Lots of trips to Stars Hollow and lots of dinners with Jess and the kids to help ease the new divorce strain on Ambrose and Jules. Not to mention having lots of family time before Ella was finally released to Yale, on her own for the most part, in three weeks. And they all had the pilgrimage up to Stars Hollow in two weeks for Davey's wedding. This was their last afternoon alone. Jess would be up with the kids after dinner.

"I'm up here!"

He smiled as he heard the running shower and bounded up the stairs, taking them two at a time. He could thank his daily morning run for being in such good shape, but his wife would take all the credit in all truth. She claimed she kept him young, despite their two teenagers trying to prematurely age them.

"Aw, did you wait for me?"

She turned as she untied her robe and yawned. He peeled off his jacket and tie, leaving a shed-clothing trail on the bathroom floor. "Someone's been keeping me up late every night," she chastised.

"Hey, we get one week, every year, I'm just trying to make the most of our reprieve."

"You need a reprieve from your children?" she gasped, in mock horror, one hand brought to her mouth.

"Believe it," he moved forward to capture her lips against his. He could never get enough time alone with this woman. "We were stupid, stupid people to have children that would keep us from being naked twenty-four hours a day," he helped her slide out of her robe, letting it fall next to his dress pants near the bathmat.

"Mmm, but we love the children, remember," she closed her eyes as he kissed down her neck, and she attempted to pull the shower curtain back, reaching behind their combined form with one hand.

"At least one of them is leaving. We can just banish Jake to the bottom floor and take over the top floor for ourselves," he suggested. "Or let Jess keep him. It's closer to school anyhow," he lowered his voice to let out a pleased groan as she teased his torso with her fingernails.

"Mmmm," she responded to his picking her up slightly off the floor, causing more friction against their skin as they edged closer to the now steam-producing shower. "Speaking of Jess," she began in a safe break from his lips.

"No," he shushed. "No speaking of Jess, for the next, say, two hours," he grinned evilly.

"But," her eyes widened, signifying she had something important to say.

"I want you. I need you. I will have you," he picked her up and placed her in the shower, shushing her with his lips as he pulled the curtain shut behind them. He would have his way, and they would both enjoy it. Immensely.


	2. Chapter 2

Title: Peer Pressure

Summary: Fourth installment in the WHW series. A Trory, of course. And, you know a billion other pairings.

Rating: T, for teen. Because there are so many of them running about.

AN: You guys are so nice, with the reviews, telling me you missed this series. I really wasn't going to expand this series past a trilogy, but the voices, especially Katherine's, they are powerful. For those who don't want to have to keep referring back to the other stories, here's a quick review:

Luke and Lorelai: Will (22)

Rory and Tristan: Ella (18) and Jacob (16)

Jess and Erin: Ambrose (16) and Juliet (15)

Sookie and Jackson: Davey (24), Anna (22), Billy (18), and Lia (17)

Erin is out of the picture, and Jess has slowly begun dating Gwen, who was introduced in the latter part of Ties That Bind. And Davey is getting ready to wed Mallory, his girlfriend from Ties, as well. Hope that helps.

* * *

The kids filed in through the back door, completely weighted down by overnight bags. Tristan took the hefty anchors from his children's shoulders and began after them up the stairs to dump them in their respective rooms. Ella tried to dump one more on him, but he took hold of her shoulders and turned her so that she was moving up ahead of him.

"No you don't, little girl, just be glad we don't make you live on the streets from now until you leave," he teased.

"Yeah, I'm sure you'd love that option, since I'd just go stay with Billy," she shot back.

"Where Sookie and Jackson can watch you? Perfect," he nudged her butt with the biggest of her duffel bags, hurrying her up the stairs, giggling.

Jess was the last to come through the door, meeting the only straggler from the troop, Rory. She smiled at him gratefully and offered him a cup of tea. He nodded and moved to look around the corner to the stairway, as if to check of their alone status.

She eyed him curiously and took a look herself in that direction, leaning into him.

"We have got to talk," he turned her; his face that of a worried father that had gotten no sleep in the recent past.

"Did something happen with Gwen?" she put her hand on his forearm.

"No, no, I mean, that's fine," he assured her. "It's Jules," he took a breath and looked into her eyes, "And Jake."

Rory giggled at the contrast of the seriousness of his eyes and his actual words. What he seemed to be concerned about was preposterous in her mind. He rolled his eyes and shook his head.

"I'm not kidding."

Rory's giggled subsided rather quickly. "What happened? You look … nervous."

"Last night, I was on my way down the hall, to lock up for the night, and I was just about to pass Jules' door, when Jake came out. From behind a closed door."

Rory stared at him in disbelief. "Well, that doesn't mean," she began, but seemed to think better of it. "What happened then?"

"Well, Jake looked at me and smiled," he narrowed his eyes at the nerve of a boy having defiled his daughter and then smiling at him, "And then I poked my head into Jules' room."

"Was it bad?" she whispered.

"No, she was lying in bed, reading."

"So, nothing happened?"

"I don't know. You should have seen that smile," he shuddered.

"Jake's a good kid, and he knows you. Of course he'd smile, nothing happened," she assured him, not sounding completely sure of herself.

"He's a replica of a sixteen-year-old Tristan," Jess reminded.

Rory's face paled at the thought. She swallowed shallowly, and put her hand back on Jess' arm for stability. "You don't think?"

"Don't think what?" Tristan interrupted, joining the pair in the kitchen.

Rory glared at him and smacked his bicep.

"Ow! What was that for?" he took her hand in his for safekeeping.

"When you were sixteen, if you came out of a girl's closed bedroom, what would have just taken place?"

Tristan smirked to himself before looking at the overly concerned pair standing in front of him. Suddenly he felt like he was standing in front of said girl's parents and was sixteen all over again, truly.

"What?" he asked, clearly feeling harassed.

"Jake came out of Jules' room last night."

Tristan looked to Jess in surprise. "What?"

"It was almost midnight, I went to lock up, and they had been alone in her room. I don't know for how long. It looked innocent enough, but," Jess shrugged.

"They're like brother and sister," Tristan shook his head, defending the innocence of what Jess had seen.

"But they aren't," Rory insisted. "You need to have a talk with Jake," she nudged him.

"I've already had that talk with Jake," he put his arm around her shoulders.

"I know you've had the sex talk, but maybe you should talk about being with a different kind of girl, a special girl."

"A girl whose father would dismember him if he so much as looks at her funny," Jess pointed at him.

"Can't we just lock them up in their respective rooms?" Tristan groaned. "I can't deal with this. It's bad enough Ella will be off at school in like a second, surrounded by horny college guys, and worse, near enough for her boyfriend to stop by at a moment's notice," he put his head in his hands.

Rory giggled and rubbed his back soothingly while Jess continued to glare at him. Though his glare got a little less threatening when he realized that Tristan was in the same boat as he was. Trying to keep boys from touching their daughters in the way they wanted to touch girls when they were that age.

"Just go talk to him, I'll talk to Ella, again, before she leaves, and Jess will talk to Jules. This will all be fine," she assured the two men.

"I don't believe her," Jess looked at Tristan.

"I think we should take a walk," Tristan raised his eyebrow knowingly at Jess, who nodded.

"Good plan."

"No!" Rory tried to bar the men from leaving through the back door, knowing they were off to calm their nerves together, but Jess lifted her up out of their way as Tristan easily opened the door.

"We'll be back, watch the kids. Like a hawk," Tristan kissed her cheek as she crossed her arms, huffing at them. Watching them go. Muttering to herself, she listened carefully to the too quiet house. Way too quiet. She turned on her heel to head upstairs and monitor the goings on.

XXXX

Rory knocked on her daughter's door, which was half-ajar and showed the room that was partially packed up in preparation for the big move to New Haven in three weeks. She knew her chances to just poke her head into her daughter's room to see her—smiling or scowling or otherwise—facing back at her were numbered. She was proud of her daughter, but still twinges of sadness tugged at her. Her baby was going off and leaving home.

Jules and Ella looked up from where they were scanning over CDs on Ella's bed, and smiled at her. She eased into the room and sat on the edge of the bed, crossing her legs in front of her Indian-style to match the girls' relaxed positions.

"Anything good?" Rory scanned over the pawed over cases on the middle of the bed.

"Jules got some great new scores at that little underground record shop by their apartment," Ella held up a couple of cases to show her mom.

"Oooh, burn me a copy, too?" Rory asked, looking over the back of the cases.

"Sure, Aunt Rory," Jules nodded, adding little score marks to the list she was compiling for Ella.

"Where'd Dad go? Are we all going out for ice cream later?" Ella asked.

"Uh, maybe. He and Jess took a walk," Rory bit her lip, trying to smile through the gesture.

"Uh-oh. What did the boys do now?" Ella asked. "I wanted to go out for ice cream, and see if Jules could stay over tonight," she began.

"We can still do that," Rory soothed. "We're not likely to deny you anything, what with your time to fly the coup so quickly approaching. We want to make sure you come back," she raised her eyebrow suspiciously.

"Of course I'll come back. New Haven has nothing on New York City," Ella nodded, along with Jules.

"So, even if you get a really hot boyfriend, you'll come home and see us?"

"I have a really hot boyfriend," Ella reminded Rory.

"Yeah, I know, but college is different, Hon. I mean, you'll be meeting a lot of different kinds of people there."

Ella put down the CDs she'd been looking over and glared at her mother. "I thought you liked Billy!"

"I do, I love Billy, he's a great boy, and your first real boyfriend. But I'm just trying to prepare you for the kinds of options that you'll encounter in college. It's a big change, that's all."

"You want me to date a whole bunch of people, is that it?" Ella asked, her tone becoming only slightly less defensive.

"It's normal to do so, even if you head in with a boy that you can't imagine being without. Things happen. And if you do date a lot of boys, I want you to be prepared for that, too."

"This is so going to be a 'dangers of sex with random people' talk," Ella scrunched up her nose, and Jules shifted uncomfortably. There had never been a teenager on the face of the earth that enjoyed hearing their parent speak of sex. In any form.

"Look, girls, I'm just saying there are smart ways to go about these kinds of things. There's nothing wrong with dating several different people, not being tied down to one specific one, especially at your ages. And yes, I do think that sex should be saved for when you are in a monogamist relationship."

"Mom! Please, we've had this talk, can we not, ever again?" Ella pleaded.

Rory looked from her to Jules and nodded. "Fine," she held up her hands in defense. "But both of you, you always know that I'm here if you ever want to talk about anything like this. Ever. Anytime."

Both girls nodded, the disgust factor still consuming them, but grateful for someone to be around to talk to. Rory could see something spark up in Jules, and she wondered if Erin really ever got around to giving her the talk before the troubles with her marriage to Jess started.

"Okay. Well, I'll call you guys when your dads get back, and we'll all go out for ice cream. Let the boys know, would you?" she smiled, standing up to flee from the conversation. Even she didn't like to talk about it. Being a grown-up really bit some days.

"We will," Jules promised, and with that Rory took her leave of the girls, going back downstairs to reward herself with uninterrupted reading time.

XXXX

Luke opened the door to find his son, his only child, standing on the porch and biting his nails. A habit he'd not seen Will do in over five years. He pulled his ring finger nail out of his mouth upon seeing his father and smiled.

"Thank God it's you," Will breathed out.

"What the hell are you doing here? And why are you knocking, even if you forgot your keys, the turtle," Luke stood there pointing to the porch railing, talking at his son.

"I'm sorry I missed dinner, it's just Anna came back early, and I know it's late, but I need to talk to someone, you preferably," Will looked directly at his father filled with hope.

"Yeah, get in here, your Mom went back to drag Sookie away from the kitchen at the Dragonfly. Something about the wedding menu and nuts," he grumbled, not really caring to know all the details.

"I can't stay long, Anna's actually asleep back at my apartment," he sat on the wonder that was the uncluttered couch and propped his feet up on the coffee table.

"Oh, so, right," Luke coughed uncomfortably. "She's all registered for classes?"

"Yeah. She is. And you know we planned to for Anna to move in with me after the wedding, right?"

"Uh, yeah, I know," Luke nodded uneasily. It wasn't that he disapproved of the idea, especially seeing as he had lived with women before marriage in his youth, but his own father's more traditional values still made him feel awkward in being so lax about the whole situation. Like he shouldn't be encouraging it according to an outdated moral code that he himself had rebuffed.

"She came back early, and the whole time she was gone, just over twenty-four hours, you know what I was doing?"

Luke looked at his son with interest—partial amusement and partial confusion—waiting for him to continue. He could feel a rant coming on.

"I was sitting around wondering what she was doing, wanting to tell her inane things, like about this stupid television commercial that I saw and thought she would find amusing because of its over-the-top stupidity," he paused, "Dad, I could practically see her dancing around gleefully to this stupid M&M's commercial."

"Wow," Luke said, knowing that if he hadn't felt that way about Lorelai to this day, he would be checking his son in for mental health testing. "Oh," he smiled, crossing his arms over his chest.

"What?"

"It's just, fun. To see you going through this. I mean, I know it's excruciating to go through it yourself, but wait 'til you have kids. Seeing it through a younger version of yourself really makes it worth it," Luke assured him.

"I counted on you not to revel in my anxiety and angst, like Mom would," he glared.

"What exactly is your specific problem here, Will? She's too perfect?"

"No, it's just, I want to marry her," he ran his hands up through his hair. "Oh my God, it's true. I mean, I knew it, but when I said it, out loud," Will clapped one hand over his mouth.

"So ask her," Luke suggested, as if it were the most natural and easy thing in the world to do.

"Ask her? Just like that? I can't do that!"

"Why the hell not? People do it every day," Luke informed him.

"We're still in school."

"So? You're both almost done."

"I shouldn't be thinking about this. We like taking this slow. We're moving in together; I shouldn't be feeling pressure to marry her just because we're living together. It's perfectly acceptable to just live together."

"No one said otherwise," Luke's amusement grew as his son got deeper into his own internally driven rant. "Wait, you left her alone in your bed and rushed over here now, all because…."

"She's not alone, I mean, Dave's at the apartment, but I was just laying there, watching her sleep, and I knew that if I didn't come over here, I'd end up waking her up and proposing right then and there, which would completely freak her out by the way, and that's not how you do these things!" he said with authority, finally looking back at his dad. "So, how do you do these things?"

"Wh-what?" Luke asked.

"You know, how did you ask Mom to marry you?"

"Uh, well," Luke hesitated.

"I've heard Mom ramble on and on about how she'd turned down other men's offers because they were completely spur of the moment, with no thought put into them ahead of time, so what did you do? You must have had some elaborate plan all set up, right?"

Luke looked down sheepishly, but couldn't help but smile at the memory. "Uh, well, not really."

Will looked up at him in surprise. "What? How did it happen, then?"

"Well, your mom was in bed, in my old apartment above the diner, about six months pregnant with you, and she was eating pie in bed. Now, I normally griped at her for getting crust crumbs all over the bed, but when I walked up from the diner to find her sitting there, using you as a tray table to balance the pie plate on, I just burst out laughing."

"This is sounding oh so romantic thus far," Will teased.

"And she asked me what was so damn funny, and I asked her if she'd marry me."

"So, wait, she was six months pregnant and you hadn't proposed?"

Luke shrugged. "We'd talked about it; just nothing had been set in stone. It was after that that I gave her a ring and we made actual plans and set a date. She didn't want to get married until she could fit into a regular wedding dress. Something about not wanting to rent one from a store called 'It's Never Too Late'," Luke informed him.

Will had to smile. "So, she said yes?"

"Actually, her exact words were, 'If you keep me supplied with these pies, you got yourself a deal,'" Luke nodded.

"Pies?"

"They were apple; she had a thing for apples when she's pregnant."

"Huh."

"Sort of like Rory with those cans of mixed fruit."

"I don't really remember Rory being pregnant," Will informed him.

"Well, I do, and let me tell you, the Gilmore women were nothing but odd for the duration of their pregnancies."

"We've gotten off track, here."

"You asked, I was just giving you an answer. Would it be so bad to propose to her on a whim? Are you so sure she would say no?"

"No, it's just—what if I'm only feeling this way because of Davey, and us moving in together?"

"What, like peer pressure?" Luke inquired.

"Sort of," Will shrugged. "I love her; I don't want to screw this up."

"Just let it sit for a while. There's no rush here. Get through the next month, let things settle down and see if you still feel the urgency to do it. I don't think she's going anywhere. Unless she wakes up to find you gone, so get the hell out of here," Luke stood up to hug his son and led him out to the door.

As soon as Luke closed the door, he chuckled to himself. Lorelai was going to love this.


	3. Chapter 3

Title: Peer Pressure

Summary: Fourth installment in the WHW series. A Trory, of course. And, you know a billion other pairings.

Rating: T, for teen. Because there are so many of them running about.

AN: This story is getting written and updated because of Katherine, LOL, my partner in crime and the woman that drives Trory fan fiction. At least, in my world. This is for her letting me read a preview to inspire me, and for getting M ready to start this fic as well. Thanks to the rest of you, who were so lovely in letting me know you missed this series. I am glad to have brought such relief to the masses, lol. Enjoy, and remember—I love the reviews. And you know what happens when I'm happy? I write more! Just ask Katherine.

* * *

Jess let himself back into the house through the back door just after eight in the morning. Knowing the sleeping habits of the six people that had spent the night in the Dugrey house, he figured he'd be able to take a nap in the guest room and make it seem like he'd never gone back into the city for the night. He put his keys on the counter and quietly shut the door, locking it behind him.

"Trying not to wake anyone?"

"Geez!" his hand flew to his heart momentarily, before shaking it accusingly at the woman smiling at him evilly over a cup of steaming coffee. "I'm going to die young and viable, and you're going to have to live with that."

"Are you just getting in, young man?" she teased.

"Yes, Mom," he rolled his eyes and poured himself a cup of coffee, only wincing momentarily at the strength that he hadn't tasted for a while.

"Good, huh?" she winked.

"Strong as ever. You could use this to power your car," he informed her.

"That's what it takes to get me going of a morning."

"I thought that's what your husband was for," he shot back.

"Speaking of which, where were you all night?"

"You caught me; I was with your husband," he hung his head in mock shame. "Where the hell do think I was all night?"

"So, you guys are, you know?" she nudged gently toward the topic of his 'just friends until the divorce is final' status with Gwen.

"Did we have raw, animalistic sex? Why yes, we did," he smirked, causing her to smack his arm with her folded over paper. She always folded her paper in fourths, constantly unfolding and refolding as she skimmed from section to section.

"Hey, you asked!"

"You're crude."

"I thought you liked Gwen."

"I haven't even met her, officially."

"Well, you need to, because she's mortified at the impression she made. She wants an opportunity to meet you, you know, when she's more kempt, I believe she put it."

"You knew I was going to be stopping by. I can't believe you would do something so evil to her," Rory shook her head, referring to the incident in the middle of this past week, when she stopped by to get a book she wanted to borrow from Jess, on her way home from work. Jess, knowing she was coming by, had jumped in the shower and instructed Gwen to answer the door quickly—giving her time only to pull on one of his old band T-shirts, trying desperately to unmuss her hair. When she flung the door open, Rory had done her best not to giggle as she told her what she was looking for and made a general introduction. Jess had come out, with just a towel wrapped around his waist mid-way through the search for the book, allowing Gwen to scurry back into the bedroom, to allay further embarrassment.

"She was so pissed," Jess laughed.

"Can you blame her?"

"Well, no, but it was still funny," he took another sip of the strong coffee. "Damn, you should be in some sort of Anonymous group, trying to get off of this stuff," he shook his head.

"So, when are you going to ease her into the family life?" Rory asked, fully curious.

"I asked her to the wedding," he looked up at her in all seriousness.

"Really? Oh, Jess, that's so great!" Rory bounced slightly in her seat, hunching her shoulders up in a show of glee.

"Calm down there, Bouncy, you'll wake up the rest of the house, and I have to have that fatherly talk with Jules later," he reminded her.

"I sort of told her that she could always come to me, I didn't know what all Erin had talked to her about," Rory confessed. "You know, with female issues."

"Thanks. I have no idea either. I just assumed Erin would cover all the girly stuff, you know? I mean, what do I know about girls? Well, that I'd want to share with my daughter," he couldn't suppress the image of Gwen in his T-shirt from the week prior from surging up in his head.

"More than you think," she assured him. "You're a good dad."

"Thanks," he smiled, standing up from the table. "I'm going to catch a nap. What are you doing up?"

"It's my quiet time," she shrugged.

"You're getting nervous for Ella to leave, huh?"

"Is it that obvious?"

Jess thought for a moment and moved to put his hand on her shoulder. "You'll be okay. If Lorelai survived, you will too."

She patted his hand that still rested on her shoulder. "Thanks. Now get some sleep," she smiled, watching as he nodded and scratched the back of his head on his way up the stairs.

XXXX

Tristan made his way into his son's room. It was the opposite from his own at sixteen; neat and orderly. Not that Tristan was a slob, but he'd never had to clean up after himself, really, until he went off to military school, and he didn't have quite the affection for books as his son did. He definitely took after his mother in that respect. He gave a knock of regard for his son's privacy, though the door was wide open and Jake sat with headphones on his ears, his back leaned up against the headboard as he was lost in the world between the covers of the book he held in his hands.

Tristan waved slightly, causing Jake to look up and pull his head phones off.

"Busy?"

"Uh, not really."

Tristan nodded and roamed about the room, looking around a bit. He really hated these talks. Damn Rory for being able to talk him into anything. His own father would have never had this kind of talk with him. He reminded himself of the fact that that in and of itself meant he was doing the right thing, standing so uncomfortably in his son's room right now.

"Dad?"

"Yeah?"

"Do you need something?" Jake asked.

"I just, thought I'd come hang out. Your Mom and Ella went shopping."

"Again?"

"Evidently college requires a new line of clothing," Tristan joked. "I'm sure your mom will take you out and let you go crazy at the University bookstore of your choice," he added.

Jake smiled warily. "I know why you're here."

Tristan looked up, relieved. "You do?"

Jake nodded and put his book down on the bed. "Nothing happened."

Tristan sat down at the desk chair and watched the look of panic sweep over his son's features. As much as he resembled a younger version of himself, Rory's mannerisms just flowed from him.

"Define nothing."

"I was just, God, you aren't going to believe me," Jake shut his eyes, causing Tristan to narrow his eyes in disbelief.

"Why, are you planning on lying to me?"

"No, it just, it sounds made up. Like what someone with something to hide would say."

"Look, Jake, you're my son, and because I'm not in Jess' shoes, I'm going to believe you if you tell me the truth. So, out with it."

"I was in her room, every night last week, reading to her," he sighed, looking up at his father after he finished, waiting for judgment, or reproach, or whatever Tristan might react with.

Turns out, it was more disbelief. "What?"

Jake sighed, and tried again. "We've been talking a lot, over email mainly, but sometimes we'd meet after school, since Aunt Erin left for California."

"Okay."

"And we're just been talking about everything, you know, how things are going for her, I got kinda worried, you know how she was barely eating?"

Tristan nodded. All the adults had been watching that situation, sort of waiting in the wings if it got out of hand. She'd seemed to regain her appetite slowly after the second month of Erin's departure, much to everyone's relief.

"I would make sure she ate. Am and I kind of had a pact, to make sure she ate something at least three times a day. But it was more than that, we'd talk about books, sometimes we'd hang out with Ambrose too, but when he started working it was just Jules and me a lot more often. And she was having trouble sleeping in the heat, you know? So I went in and she asked me to read to her. So, I'd read, usually 'til she fell asleep, but that last night, we heard Jess come toward her door, so I just," he rambled, trailing off at the end.

"Got the hell out of Dodge?" Tristan supplied.

"Yeah. Jess looked completely freaked. I was sure he'd say something, but he didn't."

"Well, he was freaked," Tristan nodded in agreement, moving one hand to scratch at his jaw.

"Nothing else happened."

"So, you're just friends?" Tristan reiterated.

Jake remained silent for a moment, looking down at the bent spine from where he'd propped it open to keep his place face down on his bed beside him.

"Jake?"

"Nothing's happened."

"Oh, Christ," Tristan rubbed his temples.

"What?"

"Your mother is going to kill me. And she's going to enlist Jess to help her."

"I don't think Jules thinks of me that way," Jake assured him.

"So?" Tristan asked.

"So? So, it's hard for us to date if she won't look at me like that."

Tristan couldn't believe his ears. If he'd had this sort of attitude, one he could only label as defeatist, he would have had a very, very different high school experience. "Look, Jake. I don't want to encourage you to be an arrogant prick, but, there's something to be said for going after what you want."

"You're saying I should just pursue Jules, even though she might not feel the same way?"

"I'm saying if you don't try, you'll never know. And I'll never admit to telling you to do this in front of your mother."

Jake smirked, letting out a soft laugh. "So, what do I do?"

Tristan leaned back in the chair, his hands now interlaced and resting on the back of his head. "Oh, the things I have to teach you," he sighed.

XXXX

"Okay! Does everyone have a copy of the list in front of them?" Sookie asked as Lorelai handed out pens and pencils to the small gathering.

"Good, now, please check off any and all foods that you have allergies to. Or that evoke strong gag reflexes when ingesting or smelling. Or if once you ate something, got sick, and the after effects remind you of any of the food on this list. Take your time. Call your physicians if you have to. After you finish that, from the remaining, unchecked foods, please list your top five preferred dishes underneath, in clear, legible writing."

"I think they got it, Sook," Lorelai whispered, gesturing for her to have a seat while the wedding party looked over the five-page list that included each and every single ingredient for the newly proposed wedding menu that she'd worked on almost all night before. She walked over to look over Will's shoulder, amused by his choices.

"You aren't allergic to oysters," she corrected.

"That's the 'if it makes you gag in anticipation of ingesting' category," he informed her.

She giggled. "What about caviar?"

"That would be in the 'Got sick from something else and that's what the results looked like' category."

More giggling. "Well, I see you have a lot of work to do, but could I talk to you for a moment?"

"Uh, sure," he nodded, putting his lengthy list on his chair and smiling at Anna as he passed by her. He walked over to the main reception area after his mother. She smiled at him widely when he stopped in front of her, and he winced at the gleam in her eyes.

"Uh-oh."

"What?"

"You're up to something," he said warily.

"I'm your mother! I raised you, nourished you, and made you into the very well-rounded person that you are today! How could you think that I'm up to something?"

"You have the same look in your eyes that you got when Grandma had toilet paper stuck to her shoe all evening during the Christmas party and no one told her," he replied.

"Well, it was damn funny," she leaned in, still enjoying the image that Will brought to mind. "But this, my dear boy, is a very serious conversation we need to have."

"Something more important than my food allergies?" he raised his eyebrows.

"I just want to say one thing: you elope, and I will hunt you down like half-price Jimmy Choos. And you'd be so lucky to be caught by someone so understanding as me, and not, say, like Sookie."

Will turned to see if his mother's insanity had been overheard by anyone in the common room, where they'd just come from. He turned back to his mother and grabbed her by the elbow, pulling her outside and not slowing down until they got to the stables.

"I'd like to keep my arm attached to my body!" she protested.

"Tell me you haven't spouted off about this to anyone else!"

"Just your father, who told me in the first place, by the way. I'm hurt, I'm wounded, I'll never recover!" she put the back of her hand to her forehead to play it up.

"We can't elope, because we aren't engaged," he informed her, convinced she'd misunderstood Luke.

"No, not yet, but you will be," she smiled softly and ran her fingers down his arm. "Because you love her."

He couldn't help but smile at his mother's genuine caring and sentiment. She gripped his hand and he nodded.

"Yeah, I do. But if you keep yelling at me, in front of Sookie, or worse, Anna, then there will be nothing for you to worry about," he warned. "I want to do this right."

"She's gonna say yes," she whispered conspiratorially. "Trust me."

"I'm going to take Dad's advice and just wait it out, let things settle down. Not rush into it."

Lorelai nodded, her face conveying the gravity of the situation. "Smart, very smart. Just promise me one thing?"

"You mean, other than the not eloping thing? Which you are making look more and more appealing, I might add?" he teased.

"Fine two things, and the other is just this: do it when it feels right. No matter if you don't have a ring, or you think there should be about a billion more candles or champagne, just do it when you feel you should. Okay?" she smiled, putting her arm around her son's broad shoulders.

"Deal. Now we better get in there so you can check off calamari," he suggested.

"Well, I'm sorry, but it really is like gnawing on a dog's chew toy. How is that helpful to the digestion process?" she inquired, happily escorting him back into the inn's common room.


	4. Chapter 4

Title: Peer Pressure 

Summary: Fourth installment in the WHW series. A Trory, of course. And, you know a billion other pairings.

Rating: T, for teen. Because there are so many of them running about.

AN: Thanks to those of you who are leaving reviews to let me know you're enjoying. I will say that having a crush isn't always recipricated, so those of you who are concerned with some of the potential pairings need to have a bit more faith if you like the story. Many of the 'coupling's will undergo some changes. . . And we'll be introduced to some new characters to mix some things up soonish. That's all I'll say about that. Now, back to the story.

Anna unwrapped another dish, throwing the wadded up newspaper into the opened trash bag that they'd positioned between them, and placed the dish into the cabinet on top of the last one. The collection of kitchenware was eclectic to say the least, as both Mallory and Davey had amassed their own individual necessary living items. None of Davey's plates matched each other, let alone anything Mal had. Will and Anna had unwrapped silverware that looked like it belonged to about ten different flatware sets.

"Did they register somewhere?"

Will looked up from his kneeling position on the other side of the garbage bag. "How would I know that?"

Anna giggled. "You're the best man, you're supposed to know stuff like that," she threw the next wad past the bag, aimed at his head. It bounced off his temple, and he threw it back in retaliation, causing her to put up a hand for it to bounce off and into the trash bag.

"Keyword being man; men don't care about bridal registries and wedding dresses. We show up, we eat cake, we leave, and then we have to go do manly things to refill our testosterone levels."

"Manly things?" she raised an eyebrow at him.

"You know, watch football, clean our guns, conquer our women," he listed, smirking at her.

"It's preseason, you don't own a gun, and who is this woman you think you can conquer?' she put a hand on her hip instead of picking up the next carefully wrapped dish.

Will stood up, brushing his newsprint covered hands on his pant legs, and moved over to where Anna stood. She looked fairly prepared to back away from his advances. He threatened to wipe some of the black grime from his finger onto her nose, but she wriggled and veered around it, falling into giggles all the while.

"Will! Stop it!" she swatted and backed up, not stopping until he had her trapped between the refrigerator and himself.

He held his finger right at the tip of her nose as she continued to wriggle, her laughter softening with his increasing proximity.

"Okay, if there is one place you should never be that close, it's in my house," Dave stuck his head into the kitchen.

"You have impeccable timing, Dave," Will didn't even turn his head to look at his friend. "You're the biggest mood killer, ever."

"Good. You're supposed to be working, not making out with my sister."

"Go away, Dave," Anna said, still smiling widely at Will.

"But, you promised to," Dave began before Mal showed up next to him to pull him away.

"Leave them alone. I need your help getting boxes of books up from my car," she tugged on his elbow until he was out of earshot, leaving Will and Anna still tightly crammed against the major appliance.

"So, moment passed?" Anna inquired, as Will lightly brushed his finger over her nose, leaving no trace of a mark.

"Never," he shook his head, just barely before leaning in to kiss her. "I don't know how we got roped into all of this, we just have to do the same thing again with all your stuff in a couple of weeks," he said in between kisses.

"Well, at least we're doing it together, right?" she whispered, kissing the tip of his nose playfully.

He looked into her eyes for the longest moment, hearing his mother's words in his head. "You make everything fun," he said seriously, causing her to furrow her eyebrows together.

"Th-thank you," she smiled nervously.

"Ann," he began, only to jump back when he heard a loud crash come from the front room. Followed by a long string of expletives and some giggling. Will and Anna hesitantly looked at each other for another beat before moving into the living room to see what the fuss was about.

Stopping in the front room, they saw three boxes of books, most of whose contents were spread out in front of Dave, who was on his knees behind the mess. Mal was in the doorway, her hand over her mouth and her shoulders shaking.

"What happened?" Ann exclaimed, moving to help her brother to his feet.

"He… books … fell," Mal tried through tears and choked laughter to explain.

"Carrying three boxes at once is more efficient," Dave explained sullenly.

"Not when you can't see around said boxes," Will instructed, moving to put fallen books back into their cardboard confines. He caught sight of his watch as he piled and stood up.

"Ah, crap, I promised Dad I'd help out with the dinner rush," he moved to kiss Anna on the cheek. "I gotta go."

"Wait, will I see you later?" she held onto his arms.

"Yeah. I'll come by your folks' house to get you after we close, and we'll hang," he promised.

"Don't think we won't be taking a break to come and harass you at Luke's," she called after him, earning her a wink and a blown kiss.

"You two are nauseating," Dave muttered, still picking up books.

"Shut up," came the dual female response.

"Being married is going to be fun," he said sarcastically.

XXXX

"Grab the coffee, start doing refills," Luke barked at Will, throwing a rag at him upon his rounding the counter. Jess came out of the back with four loaded down plates and shook his head.

"Just do what he says, he's cranky," he informed his cousin.

Will grabbed the coffee decanter and followed Jess, filling cups where Jess was putting down plates. "What are you doing here?"

"I made the mistake of coming to drop something off," he turned to glare at Luke, "I won't make the same mistake twice."

"Are you gonna bellyache about this, or do I have to stay?"

Jess and Will stared at Luke, who was stomping toward the door. "Well?"

"We've got it covered," Jess assured him. "Go."

Luke grumbled about fallen trees and cheap, single-paned windows as he left. Will called after Jess. "What is with him?"

"Beats me, I came in to drop off this box of photos he said he needed now, and Lorelai called, and he just started mumbling under his breath, telling me that he was outta here when you showed up."

"Gotcha," Will said, moving to answer the phone as Jess rang out customers. They worked in relative silence until the crowd dwindled down to a few stragglers that were enjoying the last dregs of their third refills.

Will rested against the counter, having wiped it off and started the ketchup refill process. He always performed this function when he helped his father—it was the first duty his dad ever let him perform.

"You can cut out of here, if you want," Jess said, coming to rest beside him. "It's dead, and if Luke doesn't come back soon, I'm just gonna close early."

"You go—you're the one with the long drive ahead of you."

Jess and Will exchanged a side glance for a beat, and smiled. "So, we'll both stay?"

"Looks that way."

"What's with you? Don't you have someone to go home to?" Jess inquired.

Will smiled. "Uh, not yet, not officially. Ann's living at home, until Dave gets the rest of his crap out of the apartment. Plus, I'm the best man and she's a bridesmaid, so we have all this wedding crap to do, so we thought it'd just be easier to wait until after."

"Huh," Jess nodded.

"What about you? Are the kids alone?"

Jess shrugged. "They're fine, I mean, Ambrose can handle a night without me, I don't think the two of them will burn the house down or anything."

"So, what are you hiding from?"

Jess smirked. "Hiding, me? Never."

"Jess," Will shook his head. "Seriously, tell me, take my mind off of my troubles."

Jess raised his eyebrows. "Your troubles?"

Will shuffled his feet and shrugged. "It's just that, recently, I've been feeling this urge to, uh, you know," he checked at the progress of the ketchup bottles.

"Urge to what?" Jess asked, mystified.

"Propose?"

"You sound unsure," Jess looked at the younger man.

"I'm not unsure, I mean, about my desire to ask her, I'm more unsure about . . . ."

"What her answer will be?"

"Bingo."

"I see."

"Yeah."

An extended silence enveloped the two, as they stared at the slow-flowing condiments as they moved from container to container.

"You don't, uh, want advice, do you?"

Will looked up to his uncomfortable cousin. "Nah, I've gotten earfuls from Mom and Dad already."

"Makes sense," Jess smirked. "I'm just not the best person to ask about this. Hell, I can't figure out how the whole dating after a divorce thing goes."

"So, you're seeing Gwen?"

Jess nodded. "Yeah. I am, and when we're alone, it's great, but I asked her to the wedding, and she said something about meeting the kids, really getting to hang out with them before that, and I just," he let out a long sigh.

"It's weird?"

"Yeah. I mean, I want them to like her, I like her, I just don't want that to put a damper on things."

"Yeah," Will nodded in agreement. "Makes sense."

"Yeah. So."

Another silence fell around them. The kept watching the condiments until Will changed them out and Jess went to clear the last remains of plates from the tables and turned off the lights. They turned up the radio and worked in amiable silence for the rest of the evening.

XXXX

"My mom spent the first night at college with me," Rory argued as the credits for the movie were rolling over their television screen.

Tristan kept hold of his wife's knees that had been slung across his lap throughout the two movies.

"So because Gramma's crazy, I have to suffer?"

"Excuse me, young lady," Tristan gave his daughter a look of warning, at which Jake tossed popcorn at his sister.

"I think it's a great idea," Jake commented loudly.

"So, you want Dad sleeping on your floor in two years?"

"I didn't say that," Jake corrected, "I just think since it's more than obvious that you'll be letting Billy into your room about a half a second after Mom and Dad leave, it's only smart for Mom to want to keep you out of trouble as long as possible."

Ella stuck her tongue out at her brother and grabbed another handful of popcorn to throw back at him. "That's not true, you little miscreant," she began, "You're just jealous that I have a boyfriend. You can't even get a date," she pointed out.

"I'm much more discriminating than you are," Jake tossed back.

"Okay, enough! Bed time!" Rory called, pointing to the stairs.

"Mom!" they both exclaimed.

"It's our last weekend as a family, and I don't want to look back and remember you two arguing. So, if you must, take it upstairs. I want to live with my delusions of a happy family life."

"But what about my being left alone on my first night at college?"

Rory sighed and looked to Tristan, who shrugged. "We'll see how you feel that night. I happened to enjoy my mom around, helping us scout out all the best places to order food from and adding to the bonding of my floor. If you are happy to be rid of me, then your Dad and I will just go get a room at the Alumni Club and visit your grandmother the next day."

Ella scrunched her nose up at the mention of her parents getting a room, and stood to go upstairs. "I'm going to call Billy if you two are going to be gross," she announced before flouncing off. Tristan looked pointedly at his son.

Jake groaned. "God, and you guys are worried about us teenagers," he muttered as he marched up the stairs.

"How many days 'til they're both on their own?" Tristan leaned down to kiss her knee.

"Just under two years 'til Jake turns 18," Rory giggled. "Didn't I just see you at his sweet sixteen?"

"Boys don't have sweet sixteen's," he reminded, "We just get more sexually frustrated overnight," he informed her.

"So, that was your problem," she giggled.

"Can you blame us? All you girls parading yourselves in front of us in low-cut, white ball gowns and non-existent shorts as you practice those waltzes," he smiled knowingly.

"I practiced dancing in jeans, I'll have you know," she shook her head.

"Well, if you'd been practicing with me, you'd have been wearing a lot less," he chuckled, pulling her up so her butt rested in his lap. "Trust me."

"I should kill Lorelai for giving you details about things like that," she ran a hand through his hair. "Hey, did you talk to Jake, about, you know," she cringed.

He cleared his throat and intertwined his hand in hers. "Yep."

She cocked her head. "Well?"

"He's a little gun-shy about girls, and he has a crush. Nothing serious. I gave him some pointers," he added.

"Oh, no," her eyes closed. "What kind of pointers?"

"Of how to get a girl to notice you more readily," he supplied.

Rory shook her head, burying her face in her hands. "We're so going to be getting calls from the Headmaster," she groaned.

"Hey! I resent that," he pried her hands from her eyes and kissed her on the lips. "I was good at it, once upon a time."

"Tristan, come on. I love you, but the boy you were at sixteen left something to be desired," she explained.

"Exactly!" he poked a finger in the middle of her chest. "You admit you were left in a state of desire," he gathered her more properly in his arms and kissed her.

"What am I going to do with you?"

He shrugged. "I could offer a few suggestions," he whispered in her ear, the soft breath tickling her ear.

"Okay," she kissed his cheek and stood up from their cuddled position on the couch. "But not until after I deprogram our son," she made for the stairs, but he was faster than her, grabbing her around the waist and tossing her over his shoulder by the time they got to the top of the stairs. She let out a happy shriek, to which their disgusted children shut their bedroom doors and turned up their respective stereos to drown out the noise.


	5. Chapter 5

Title: Peer Pressure

Summary: Fourth installment in the WHW series. A Trory, of course. And, you know a billion other pairings.

Rating: T, for teen. Because there are so many of them running about.

Jules was curled up on the couch under a fleece throw, completely enraptured in a movie when Jess let himself into the apartment the next day. He let out a sigh, figured now was as good a time as any to broach the topics that he'd been dreading talking with his daughter about, and moved to stand behind the couch, his hand already running through his hair nervously despite the fact that he was fairly sure she didn't even know he was in the same room as her. When she didn't turn or speak after a full minute, he cleared his throat.

Nothing.

"Jules," he began.

"Hey, Dad," she said dismissively. Her eyes never left the screen.

He let out a sigh of frustration. "Could you maybe turn that off, just for a sec?"

"Dad! They're about to sing 'Tiny Dancer'!"

"You've seen that movie five hundred times. If you pause it just this once, when you press play again, they will still sing the same damn song," he informed her sarcastically.

She turned at the annoyed tone. "I thought you loved this movie."

"I do. It's just, I need to talk to you, okay?"

She grabbed the remote and obeyed her father's wishes, watching him as he moved around to sit next to her curled up form on the couch.

"What's wrong? Is Uncle Luke okay?" her eyes widened in anticipation of bad news. He shook his head, not surprised she jumped to such conclusions. The kind of news he'd had to sit her down for in the recent past hadn't been the best—in fact, it'd been the worst he could imagine in some ways.

"Luke's fine, everyone's fine," he assured her. "Where is Am?"

"He went to play basketball down at the park," she informed him. "Why?"

"Just, okay, I'm going to ask you this once, and you need to be really honest with me. Not the kind of honesty where you leave certain bits out so I don't go on a rampage or have to head out to the balcony to smoke a pack of cigarettes, okay?"

Jules nodded sheepishly. "Okay."

"Right, so, last week, when I went to lock up for the night, I was coming past your room, only to see Jake sneaking out of it about midnight. Is there anything you'd like to say for yourself before I break out into full-on fatherly hysterics?"

"Are you kidding me?" she frowned.

"No, I'm quite serious about hating to see a teenaged boy sneaking out of my equally teenaged daughter's room at midnight."

"He wasn't sneaking. We were done talking. He was going to bed."

"Why was he in your room until midnight?"

"Dad, you're losing it," she shook her head.

"So, you want me to believe that you two were in there alone and nothing happened behind your closed door?"

"Dad, it's Jake."

"I know," he said, calming down at her tone of redundancy.

"He's like, my brother."

"But, he's not," Jess reiterated.

"He might as well be, I mean, he's like a slightly more conservative version of Ambrose. Nothing like what you're envisioning would ever happen with us. We've just been talking; about books, the whole thing with Mom. He's been great, especially since Am has been working at the bookstore so much after school. He's like, the only other person that gets how hard it's been, for both me and Am."

Jess nodded. Talk about a segue into the other topic he hated to bring up.

"How are you doing, you know, with your mom being gone?"

She smiled and grabbed his hand. "I'm good, Dad. You're doing a good job managing our wild ways," she teased.

"Seriously. I know it's gotta be weird, at least a little, with me dating, and barely speaking with your mom. You do need to call her; she's started calling me at the office, telling me I can't keep you guys from her. She needs to know it's not me," he impressed upon her.

"I know. I just, haven't wanted to. I'm not ready yet, to forgive her, you know?"

He nodded. He couldn't say he'd forgiven Erin, so much as he'd accepted that the situation was what it was; over with. The only direction for him to move with two kids in his care was forward.

"I know, and I don't want to push you guys into talking to her, or meeting anyone new," he hedged.

Jules looked up at him knowingly. "Like Gwen?"

He nodded. "Like Gwen."

"You really like her a lot, huh?"

He wasn't sure how comfortable he was discussing his new girlfriend with his daughter, but if he was going to have Gwen spend time with his family it was inevitable.

"I do, like her a lot."

"Wow. Is it, I mean, do you think you'll marry her?"

"Oh, Jules, no, I just want to be able to bring her around, hang out with all of us. So I can see her and you guys, not have my life so segmented."

Jules nodded. "Am says she must be cool, because of how happy you've been lately."

"Huh," Jess nodded.

"So, when do you want us to meet her?" Jules acknowledged what this chat was really about.

Jess smirked and nudged her shoulder. "I hate it when you do that," he informed her.

"So, what, like, soon?"

"I want you to meet her before we go to the wedding. I was thinking having her come by tomorrow, for dinner."

Jules' eyes widened a bit, as the immediacy registered, before she shrugged and nodded. "Can we get Chinese?"

Jess chuckled and stood up. "Sure."

"Can we get cheesecake from the deli?"

"Sure."

"Can we get anything I want because you want me to be your angel child in front of the pretty lady?"

Jess snorted and ruffled her hair. "Just refrain from talking about how I allow boys to be in your room at night, and I'll buy you a puppy," he teased.

"Freak of sideshow proportions!" she called after him as he headed to his room to change, and then she pressed play; magically bringing the characters back to life on the screen, as the opening bars of "Tiny Dancer" began being recited.

XXXX

"And then Mallory's best friend raised her hand and said she was a vegan, and Sookie almost blew her top, I mean it, I thought we were going to have structural damage!" Lorelai giggled into the phone.

"Oh my God! Didn't Davey prep Mal and her friends about how obsessive and picky Sookie is about her menus?"

"Apparently not," Lorelai snorted, flipping through the channels on the television as she continued to talk animatedly. "Ooh, A&E _Biography_ of Susan Lucci!"

"Ooh, hang on, I'm so there! Has she done the 'I truly never believed that this would happen!' speech yet? The one that's longer than _Titanic_?"

"No, that is definitely a 70s coif in that shot, I think we have a few husbands and some return from the deads before we get to the real waterworks," Lorelai giggled. As the two women hardly got to see one another as often as they liked (despite their husbands insisting that talking every day and seeing each other at least twice a month was way more than most mother and daughters of their ages interacted), they had taken to watching TV together with their free nights and weekends plans.

"So, back to Sookie. What is she going to serve?"

"You know, I'm not sure. She said something about needing a shot of the 'strong stuff,' and she disappeared into the kitchen, leaving us all holding our huge lists and Michel asking me if he had to cross-check them all against each other, and if he did, demanding that he get double time for that work."

"Same old Michel."

"Same old Michel. How's everything on your end? My granddaughter all ready for school?"

"I haven't seen her much, she's been glued to her phone, talking to Billy and making plans about what they'll do now that they're only twenty minutes away from each other."

"Ready to cut those apron strings, huh?"

"Not everyone can be as emotionally stunted as I was," Rory pointed out.

"Hun, she's going to be fine. With school and with boys; and if there's an emergency, I can get there in twenty minutes. I'm your first line of defense."

"How do you know that phrase?"

"What do you mean? It's a well-known saying!"

"Among football enthusiasts, not among women who count debating among their forms of exercise."

"I maintain I burn more calories debating than almost anything else I do in a day! Well, except, you know," Rory could practically see the leering smile on her mom's face.

"God, how did Will stand to be in that house with you and Luke all the time?"

"Your brother isn't scarred for life, in fact," Lorelai paused dramatically, "I have a secret."

"Ooh, spill!"

"You have to keep it under wraps!"

"You mean like you're obviously supposed to be doing?" Rory tossed back.

"Right. But I mean, hush-hush this weekend. Unless it's already out of the bag, in which case tell everyone you know," Lorelai reasoned.

"How will I know if it's out of the bag already?"

"Because Anna would be sporting some major bling if it's out of the bag."

There was silence, and then a quite overly excited squeal. "No!"

"Yes!"

"Are you serious?"

"Yes! He told me himself, he's thinking about it, and he can barely keep the words from popping out of his mouth in her presence. It shouldn't be too much longer, with all these wedding bells clanging around here."

"Wait, you don't think he's just thinking about getting married because his best friend is, and he's leaving a vacated spot that Anna will be filling, and he's feeling, I don't know, obligated?"

"No, this boy is more and more smitten every day. Remember how he was when he got a hold of my _Wonder Woman _DVDs?"

"This is more serious than Linda Carter and her invisible jet? Wow," Rory was in awe of the amount of infatuation that implicated.

"I told him to do it when he could feel it was right, not to wait for the some huge show of flowery forced acceptance."

"Well, what is good enough for the Gilmore women is good enough for him to use on Anna," Rory agreed, knowing that both her and her mother's marriage proposals might not seem to have been so planned or elegant, but they were romantic and true.

"I don't think he'll last much longer."

"Like two days or two weeks?"

"I would bet that he proposes before the end of the night on Saturday."

"At the wedding?"

"Totally," Lorelai agreed, "Ooh, I think she's about to get rid of another husband," she said, her attention turning back to the TV.

"Ooh, that was a good one, too; massive head trauma, and back from the dead twin sister having stolen the husband's affections," Rory nodded. "I'll take that bet," she returned to their prior conversation.

"Twenty bucks?"

"Fifty. I could use it for a nice romantic dinner with Tristan, after we drop Ella off at her dorm."

"A nice dinner in New Haven? What, like tacos? That'll only set you back twenty, and that's if you skipped lunch."

"They have nice restaurants in New Haven, Mom," Rory rolled her eyes.

"Sure they do, Hun, sure they do."

"I'm hanging up on you now, leaving you to mock the sappiest speech in the world on your own," Rory informed her.

"Devil child," she retorted.

"I'm going to go tell Tristan to get ready for an evening out with his wife," she teased.

"I was right before with the devil child comment; it's very mean of you, getting his hopes up for nothing. At least be fair and tell him you've bet against the woman that has never lost a bet, ever, in her whole life."

"Pop rocks and Coke."

"I still maintain my brain exploded a little. I can never type 'the' on my computer and get the 'h' in front of the 't'. I was fully able to type simple articles before said experiment to prove that bet."

"Bye," Rory said pointedly.

"Snarky-puss," Lorelai bid her a farewell and hung up, hand to her heart as she began fake-weeping and talking back to Susan Lucci's disbelief at her name having been called after so many years of being ignored by the Emmy voters.

After the first minute, Lorelai stood up and turned off the TV. "Who would believe an actress would put up with being overlooked by the stupid Emmy voters so many years in a row? She should have won an extra Emmy for her 'gracious' losing for nineteen years in a row," she muttered to herself, heading up to join Luke in bed.


	6. Chapter 6

Title: Peer Pressure

Summary: Fourth installment in the WHW series. A Trory, of course. And, you know a billion other pairings.

Rating: T, for teen. Because there are so many of them running about.

AN: Thanks to those of you who are reviewing. I'm glad you're enjoying it. Things will be kicking into high gear soon, and more characters will be thrown into the insanity. Double thanks to Sabine, who got the Lorelai/Lauren Graham references in the last chapter. And K, who is catching up in all her glory. Enjoy this chapter!

Dave shut the door and carried the pizzas over to the coffee table, where the spread of junk food had been arranged by Will in the last three minutes. If there was one thing Will could do instantaneously, it was create a smorgasbord of snack foods at a moments notice. His mother had ingrained a level of training him to suit her needs that was unmatched. Luckily it was useful with others as well.

"Now, this is what I needed," Dave bit into the scalding hot slice as Will flipped on the DVD player. "No girls, no wedding talk; just two guys, sitting around eating pizza and watching action movies."

"To _Die Hard_," Will raised his bottle up to meet Dave's in a celebratory clink.

"So, is this the preamble to strippers?"

Will spit out his beer in surprise, wiping his mouth off with the back of his hand. "What?"

"You know, tomorrow night, bachelor party? What's a bachelor party without strippers?"

"No strippers," Will shook his head.

"You're the worst best man ever," Dave pouted.

"I'm sorry, let's consider facts, shall we? Mallory would kill you. Anna would kill me. Both our mothers would torture us unendingly, my mother in particular bringing Rory in on the mocking fun that would be interminable at every family get together from now until we die. Can't you just watch a porno and be done with it? I mean, it's not like you've never seen some girl's boobs," Will explained.

"You're worried about what Anna would say?" Dave's voice was lilted with mocking.

"I would like to get laid in the future, yes," Will smirked back, not willing to let Dave mock him without payback.

"So, seriously, when are you going to bite the bullet?" Dave paused the movie that hadn't gotten past the opening credits.

"Bite the bullet? Am I missing something?"

"You do want to marry Anna, right?" Dave asked knowingly. "I mean, you two are still sickening, and you've been together like nine months or something, right?"

"Dave, I thought the whole point of tonight was to watch Bruce Willis and not think about the girls or frilly white things."

"Yeah, but come on. This is me."

"I swear to God, if you shut up now, I'll consider getting you a stripper, okay?"

"But," Dave rolled his eyes.

"Yes, I'm thinking about it, okay? I'm thinking about nothing else, and I'm terrified that she's not thinking the same thing, and that I'll ruin this, and I would very much like to think about anything else, even just for the duration of _Die Hard_. Okay?"

Will's rant left Dave open-mouthed gaping at him. "Uh, sure. Yeah, man, whatever you want," he nodded, pressing play on the DVD again, and they went back to their original plan of taking their minds off of the overwhelming events that had been occurring in their lives lately in amiable silence.

XXXX

Jess held the door shut behind him as he greeted Gwen in the hallway. He leaned forward to give her a quick kiss, and she stood before him, smiling in amusement.

"Are you going to let me in, or are we waiting for some sort of delivery man?"

"Actually, we are," he teased.

"Afraid to scare me off with your cooking?" she tried, her smile only growing wider.

"Well, I thought I'd give you fair warning. Not to mention a last out before stepping into my home and encountering my children."

She nodded and bit her lip. "I see. Are you sure you're ready for this? I mean, if it's too soon, just tell me."

"No, no," he stepped forward to put his hands on her arms, drawing her nearer to him. "I want you to meet them, I do, I just want this to go well. Just, you gotta understand that they both sort of have my sense of humor," he warned.

"I like your sense of humor," she kissed him lightly. "Well, most of the time," she narrowed her eyes, still peeved at his introduction of her and Rory—whom she'd gathered was someone important in his life—someone whom she'd liked to have been fully dressed upon meeting for the first time.

"Yeah, but imagine two of me, and degrade it down to the teen years," he remained stoic.

"Oh, wow," she breathed. "I so didn't need to go there," she said with reverence.

"They're great kids, they are, I just don't really know how much they're pretending to be okay with me dating, and how much they might hate you because of the situation. I mean, they won't hate _you_," he backtracked.

"I think we should just go in there," she held her hand up to stop him. "It won't be that bad."

Jess eyed the sudden brave front she presented. "Okay. But I warned you. And I'm fully prepared to make up for anything that happens in there," he added smartly.

Gwen smiled. "Very well played," she acknowledged.

Jess looked at her for another moment before opening the door and ushering her through.

"Jules! Am! Out here now!"

Jess and Gwen remained in the front entryway, awaiting the scrambling presentation of the two teenagers. Jules came bounding in from the direction of her room, and Ambrose came sauntering in, eating an apple, from the direction of the kitchen.

"Why are you eating?" Jess inquired.

"I was hungry."

"We're ordering Gilmore-style Chinese," he reminded.

Ambrose held out the apple. "It's. An. Apple. Keeps the doctor away, doesn't ruin appetites," he informed his father.

"Jeez," Jess muttered, and Gwen giggled at the exchange.

"Hi, I'm Jules," the girl extended her hand to the woman and grinned disconcertingly at her father.

Jess held in a second groan and suppressed the urge to extricate Gwen now, at this safest juncture.

"I'm Gwen," she smiled.

Ambrose gave her a nod. "We kinda guessed," he explained.

"Company behavior," Jess reminded under his breath.

"Can we show you into the living room, offer you some refreshments?" Ambrose laid it on thick, with full-on flourishes.

"If you call her 'Ma'am,' you'll have trouble walking tomorrow," Jess muttered into his son's ear. "Got me?"

"Loud and clear," he muttered back. "We have soda, water, juice, I think Dad has some Schlitz in the fridge," Ambrose teased.

Gwen snuck a peek at Jess, to see how he was holding up. "Tell me he's kidding about the Schlitz."

"He's dying tomorrow," Jess smiled and moved toward the kitchen. "What can I get you?"

"Water's fine," she nodded and moved to sit on the couch next to Jules. "So, are you guys in the wedding this weekend?"

"Nope, we just have to go and help Aunt Lorelai decorate. But we get to see our friends, and Dad tends to hide out at weddings, so it's not that bad."

"I don't hide at weddings," Jess corrected her, handing Gwen her water.

"Aunt Rory told me about your wedding. She said you were hiding at the top of the stairs, drinking beer."

"Schlitz," Ambrose leaned over Gwen's other shoulder, to say it quietly before moving out of his father's reach.

"That was the rehearsal, and I had one beer. And I blame your grandmothers," he mumbled.

"They are kind of scary," Jules agreed, shuddering.

"Scary?" Gwen questioned Jess, eyebrows raised in interest.

"Uh, Erin's mom is kind of this insane, frilly, Martha Stewarty, Boston elitist, and my mom's sort of the world's biggest hippy," he screwed up his face in remembering them being in the same room for the first time. "It's a little hard to take," he informed her.

"I can only imagine," she nodded. Jules jumped up when the doorbell rang and Ambrose moved to help his sister carry in all the food. Jess leaned in to kiss Gwen's shoulder and ran a hand over her knee.

"You okay? Is this too weird yet?"

"It's fine," she assured him. "They're great kids."

"Well, when they want to be," Jess agreed. "Come on, let's get some food," he pulled her to her feet so they could meet up with the kids and pile their plates down with food.

XXXX

Anna stood on the pedestal, turning in really slow, small circles as Lorelai continued to hem her bridesmaid dress. Bananrama blared from the kitchen, and Lorelai intermittently hummed with the music and chatted with the girl.

"Have you grown?"

"Not to my knowledge, no," Anna looked down at her handiwork.

Lorelai tsked. "I swear, your mother is getting crazier about these preparations. You guys are catering to her whims wonderfully. I couldn't believe it when she called me to ask me to make sure all the hem lines were the same length!"

Anna giggled. "Dave's her baby. Of course she's nuts."

"Wait 'til you get married," Lorelai warned her.

Anna got quiet and just smiled at Lorelai.

"I mean, you know, eventually. Whenever that is," she continued to ramble. "Not that you should be considering that now. Or not considering it now," she finally looked up at Anna, rested back on her hunches. "Are you considering that now?"

"Oh, you mean," she looked wholly taken aback. "Like, right this second?"

Lorelai smiled. "Just, in general."

"I won't say the thought never crossed my mind."

"That's normal," Lorelai nodded, praying she wouldn't let too much slip. She'd known she was in trouble when she'd had to call all the girls in for last minute fitting/changes to the dresses per Sookie's request. Ever since she'd talked to Will about his new found obsession with trying to keep his mouth shut, she had been avoiding being alone with Anna, in fear of spilling the beans. It was too good to hold in for long.

"Yeah. Will's incredible. We just haven't talked about all that, you know?"

"Right, right. But, I mean, you guys are moving in together, so it's going well, right?" she asked, albeit too curiously.

"I'd like to think so," Anna mused. There was a long pause, and Lorelai went back to humming to the music. Anna turned more for her to move along the hem, and she cleared her throat. "Can I ask you something?"

Lorelai looked up; her eyes wider than a deer's that were caught in the headlights of an oncoming car.

"Um, sure, sweetie," she nodded, smiling firmly.

"Lately, Will's been acting strangely. I mean, like, more on edge. Maybe it really is just Dave driving him crazy, but it feels like it's more than that, you know? Has he said anything to you?"

"Strange? I haven't noticed him being strange," she lied for the sake of her son.

"Are you sure? First I thought it might be school—I know he's going to be taking a really heavy load this last year, and he's starting to look forward to what's going to happen after school," she explained.

Lorelai felt this girl was baiting her, though logically she knew Anna wouldn't do that. She was just concerned for Will. And that was sweet, not torturous.

"Have you talked to him about it?"

"We keep getting interrupted, just when I think he's about to confide in me. We have no alone time, with the wedding and everything. I'll be happy when it's over," she confided.

"You and me both. I get the sane version of your mother back as my business partner and best friend," Lorelai breathed a sigh of anticipation.

"She means well," Anna assured her.

"Oh, Hun, I know. She does. She just wants this to be one for the books. And it's going to be, because you my dear, look lovely. I'm all finished. You can get changed in Will's old room again."

Anna hopped down off the pedestal and smiled. "Thanks. For everything," she wrinkled her nose before taking her leave of the living room—leaving Lorelai in a jittery state of wanting to slam the kids' heads together and tell them to get it over with already. If only things were just that easy.


	7. Chapter 7

Title: Peer Pressure

Summary: Fourth installment in the WHW series. A Trory, of course. And, you know a billion other pairings.

Rating: T, for teen. Because there are so many of them running about.

AN: I'm feeling the need for more fluff. Too much work and not enough time to mull over the darker, angstier stuff. Good thing I got talked into fluff.

Rory came out of the bathroom and plopped down on the bed next to Tristan. He'd fallen straight down on the bed as soon as they hauled their bags into the room. The idea of coming up right after work on Thursday to beat traffic and be well rested for all the decorating and pre-wedding hoopla that family was obligated to do had seemed like a good idea at the time. Pre-planning. Rory's way of life. Tristan had agreed without much swaying; it'd seemed harmless enough. Until his meeting ran late, and Ella's increasing impatience with the lack of time she'd get to spend with Billy that evening kicked in, and Jake's increasing annoyance at his sister's moodiness began to give Rory a headache. The car ride, needless to say, hadn't been so much fun. Lots of huffing, short words, and narrowing of eyes.

"So, sleep?"

"What, you're mad at me, too?" Tristan propped up on one elbow to watch as Rory applied hand lotion.

"Mad at you? What makes you think that?"

"You want to just go to sleep after the day I've had? I don't think so," he reached out with one hand and pulled her toward him.

"But it's late, and you've been crabby with the kids, and," she reasoned, looking into his eyes.

"And the one thing that will make all that go away is you and me, here and now," he informed her.

"How do you do that?" she smiled.

"Do what?" he ran his hand over her arm, sending tingles up her arm and down her body.

"Even after all these years, with all the crap that daily life throws at us, you make me feel," she leaned up to kiss him softly, "so," she kissed him again, "sexy."

"You are sexy," he nuzzled into her, wrapping himself around her. "So very sexy."

Rory sighed with content, forgetting the late hour and the bickering that had ensued over the last few hours. She forgot everything, save for all the reasons she loved this man.

XXXX

Loud knocking was what woke Tristan the next morning. His wife had buried herself into his chest, his arm slung over her ear to block out any potential disruptions to her slumber. Groaning, he slid out from under her and padded to the door, still trying to blink the sleep out of his eyes.

"What?" he inquired softly as he opened the door to reveal his mother-in-law.

"Cute. You always answer the door in your underwear?" Lorelai smiled.

"What time is it?"

"Early. I'm the bird, I'm here for the worm."

"Rory's exhausted. Let her sleep, we'll meet you for lunch."

"Nothing doing, I need her for last minute shopping runs. You'll get her back at lunch, for a short game of kissy face, then the girls will all be off to the bridal shower."

"I thought we were just here to decorate and attend the rehearsal. No one said anything about showers," he looked at her pointedly.

"Aww, Sweetie, you are just here to decorate and to attend the rehearsal. Boys don't have showers. Though I'd definitely take one before the rehearsal, or the people sitting next to you might have something to say about it."

"I hate your early morning persona," he grumbled. "What about a bachelor party?"

"Already held," she smiled. "Now, get my daughter, or I will," she pointed into the room.

"Fine. She'll be down shortly."

Lorelai looked at him, considering his trustworthiness. "I give you ten minutes. I'll be back after that," she warned.

He held her gaze, as if waiting for her to blink. "Fair enough."

And with that, they broke the gaze and parted their ways. Lorelai's footsteps could be heard tromping down the stairs. He turned back to the bed and crawled onto the foot of the bed, up over the curled up form of the woman that was still lost in dreamland. He kissed up her arm, causing her to stir by the time he got to her shoulder, she turned onto her stomach, groaning a little to show her in-between state of mind.

Now able to lean into her backside with the front of his body, he kissed up her neck, able to take her earlobe with his teeth to tug a little.

"Bad Tristan," she mumbled into the pillow.

"Say more things like that," he coaxed.

"Uuuhnnnnghhh," she complained.

"Time to get up," he kissed just under her earlobe.

"Bad, bad Tristan. Go back to sleep."

"Your mom's been here. She wants you downstairs in ten minutes or she's coming back to get you up herself. And I think we both know you'd rather be woken up like this," he continued his efforts, "than by her coming in to rip sheets off you and blinding you with sunlight that, believe it or not, is on the other side of those blinds," he teased.

"I'll give you a million dollars if you let me sleep five more minutes."

"You don't have a million dollars," he laughed.

"I'll sleep with Robert Redford and give it to you to spend anyway you want if you let me sleep five more minutes," she countered.

He thought for a minute, "Any way I want? Even for the Porsche that you said was too impractical for a man with a family and kids headed to college?"

Rory sat up. "Shouldn't you be more upset about the my sleeping with Robert Redford thing?"

He grinned at her awake state. "You wouldn't enjoy it. I'm much better," he assured her, kissing her quickly before alerting her to her cognizant state. "Go meet Lorelai. You're going shopping," he nudged her.

She slid out of bed and turned to look at him. "What are you doing?"

"Going back to bed," he pulled the covers up over his head and instantly fell back to sleep as she grunted about perky morning people and her mother's codependent tendencies.

XXXX

"Wait, you're going to share a room with her?" Jules asked from the back seat as they got buckled in for the trip.

"I knew speaking was a mistake. And yet," Jess muttered.

"Dad, I thought you said this wasn't serious," Ambrose said.

"I said we were just dating. I never gave you intimate details, because you're my kids, and it's none of your business what I do on my dates."

"But what if we need you, suddenly, in the middle of the night?" Jules asked.

"Then you come get me," he said plaintively.

"But you'll be in there. With her."

"You told me you liked Gwen."

"We do like Gwen," Ambrose informed him. "She's cool, she's funny, and she seems to put up with you," he smirked. "I think what Jules is concerned about is seeing the two of you, limbs strewn about, not to mention clothes," Ambrose explained, earning a smack from Jules.

"That's not what I meant!"

"It is too," he snarked.

"We're not going to be naked!" Jess shouted, earning looks from his kids. "I mean," he breathed, "God, just, don't worry about this kind of stuff. If you need me, you have me, just stop talking about this. Now."

"But," Jules began.

"No!" Jess interrupted. "We're in front of her building. I'm going to buzz her down, and she's going to join us for a weekend that will be insane enough without my kids talking about the possibility of us being naked at any juncture of the duration. It's bad enough that Rory and Lorelai are going to fill her head with stories of my hoodlum years and that she'll have to meet the freak-jobs that are the inhabitants of that damn town, okay? I like her, and she's survived meeting you two, and you liked her; now if you could just show that and help me get her through this, I'll be eternally grateful, okay?"

Jules and Ambrose shared a look and nodded. "Okay."

"Good. I'll be back."

XXXX

"Jess!" Rory yelled, waving the group over to the mass of tables in the diner that they'd taken over for lunch. Jess ushered Gwen in after the kids flew past to join their friends, and led her up to the table.

"Everyone, this is Gwen. Gwen, this is, well, everyone," he gestured to the crowd.

"Geez, I guess the verbal thing is in the off position today, huh?" Lorelai stood up to grab Gwen's hand. "I'm Lorelai. I'm sure Jess has spoken glowingly about me," she batted her eyes lashes.

"Close, I spoke about you while glowering," he corrected.

"I'm his auntie," she spoke in a baby-talk voice.

"Oh, geez," he put his forehead on Gwen's shoulder.

"Nice to meet you," Gwen giggled. "And Rory, it's nice to meet you, um, officially," she grimaced.

"I'm sorry he's such an ass," Rory tossed a look at Jess, who grinned. "I'm so glad you could come this weekend. You have to come to the bridal shower after this!"

Jess shook his head. "Oh, no. No way are you subjecting her to that!"

Rory ignored him and gestured for her to sit. "Don't listen to him. It's fun, and that way you'll get to meet all the women, without all the cranky men around," she stuck her tongue out at Jess as Tristan came back from the bathroom. "Oh, this is my husband, Tristan," she introduced.

"Ah, the Tool T-shirt," Tristan grinned, which earned him a blush, a smack, and a glare.

"What?" he asked. "It's nice to meet you, finally. Have you ordered? 'Cause with the looks I'm receiving, I'm happy to head back to the counter to put the order in for you," he informed her.

"I'm the one taking orders here, and make it snappy, will you, Jess?" Luke interjected.

"Hey, are you going to deny my kids food?" Jess asked.

"Fine, they can take their time, and you," he looked to Gwen, smiling suddenly, "Take all the time you need. But you," he pointed at Jess, "hurry up and order so you can help me out."

"Oh, stop your grunting, I'll help," Lorelai hopped up to make more coffee and cash out customers.

Gwen leaned in to Jess. "I remember this place as quiet and quaint."

Jess snorted. "It was dead, and I was in charge. Much different feel."

"I see that," she nodded, her eyes wide as she took in all the kids, conversations, and life that swirled around them.

"You get used to drowning most of it out. Just try to find a happy place and stay there," he whispered into her ear.

She slid her hand into his as she looked over the menu. "What's your happy place?"

He grinned. "The back stacks in the downtown branch of the New York Public Library."

She squeezed his hand. "Room for one more?"

"Always," he squeezed back under the table.


	8. Chapter 8

Title: Peer Pressure

Summary: Fourth installment in the WHW series. A Trory, of course. And, you know a billion other pairings.

Rating: T, for teen. Because there are so many of them running about.

The girls were saying their goodbyes, in preparation to leave the diner and head to the bridal shower that Lorelai was hosting for Mallory. She had told Sookie that since she was Davey's godmother, she felt it was her last official duty, and she could finally hang her fairy wings up in good conscience after this weekend was over. Not to mention the fact that Anna was in the process of moving and Sookie was doing everything else for the wedding. Lorelai's house was the only one that wasn't hard hit by the wedding tornado. Yet, anyhow.

Jess grabbed Jules' arm and held her back for a minute as the group moved toward the door slowly but surely.

"Hey, do me a favor?"

"Sure, Dad," Jules nodded.

"Just, keep an eye on Gwen. Don't let anyone torment her, or you know," he shrugged.

"Don't let Aunt Rory and Lorelai go crazy with your _Rebel Without a Cause_, funky hair days?"

Jess nodded. "Can you handle them?"

Jules grinned. "You've taught me well, Obi Wan, I'm up to this great challenge."

Jess rolled his eyes. "Get out of here," he barked, moving over to where Rory was advancing on Gwen.

"Hey, have fun," he kissed Gwen's cheek. "Just don't listen to anything either of them," he pointed at mother and daughter, "say. At all."

"What's the matter, Jess? Haven't let her see the high school photo albums?"

"I don't have any," he informed Lorelai.

"Well, lucky for you, I do!" she grinned evilly. "I know they aren't as big a draw as the bare butt on the living room rug photos, but maybe I can get your mom to Fed-Ex some to me," she thought out loud.

"Be nice," Tristan leaned down from over Rory's shoulder and reminded his wife. "There will be punishment for mischievous girls," he warned. He could see the crazed look building in Jess' eyes, at the thought of Gwen being scared away after a weekend spent with this bunch.

"Okay, we should go before this one starts talking about whips and chains," Lorelai grimaced, but Tristan just grinned and kissed Rory goodbye.

"Come on, Gwen, I'll show you to the house," Jules cut in and smiled at her father, showing him of her ability to keep her promise. Gwen smiled and waved at Jess as well and followed Jules out the door toward the Gilmore house.

"I'm serious, don't do anything I won't be able to forgive you for," Jess warned Rory as they went to follow the rest of the girls.

"You're worried about us?" Rory giggled. "We're angels. And we always have alibis," she reminded with sparkling eyes.

"Fine. But if your car somehow gets devil egged, I'll have an alibi, too," he threatened.

Rory narrowed her eyes and pointed at Jess and Tristan as her mother dragged her out of the diner. "I can't believe you don't trust me!"

Jess turned to Tristan after the estrogen parade had cleared out. "I can't believe you put up with that."

"Well, all the sex really helps."

Jess shook his head in wonder. "It must be damn amazing."

Luke came up behind the pair. "Oh, it is," he nodded. "Clouds the brain, makes all the psychotic behavior seem cute."

"Couldn't have said it better myself," Tristan agreed.

XXXX

Quite a group had assembled at Lorelai's house by the time the girls that had come from Luke's arrived. Sookie had let herself in to finish up the food for the shower just after ten that morning, and Anna and Will had blown up balloons, hung streamers, and arranged the furniture for the group to all fit into the front room. Presents were piled on the coffee table, and everyone was milling about, chatting and laughing.

"Looks like the gangs all here," Lorelai announced as she came into her kitchen to check on Sookie's state of being.

"I'm almost ready," Sookie sniffed from over the stove.

"You dumping onions into something?" Lorelai moved over to her friend, to see her stirring chocolate. "What's wrong?"

"It's tomorrow!" she looked up at Lorelai with brimming eyes. "I mean, doesn't it seem like yesterday that Rory was in high school and Jackson and I were doing all this?"

Lorelai put her arm around her and smiled. "Yeah, it does."

"I'm not sad, I'm happy, it's just, I can't believe it's all happening, and soon, I mean, we'll have to do this again for Anna, then Billy, and Lia, and then I'll be all alone!"

"You'll have Jackson. You love Jackson, remember? After you had kids, you kept telling me it seemed like forever until you two would be alone again," she reminded.

"I know, I just, it's so hard! How did you do it? With Rory?"

"Well, we talk, like, every day on the phone. Think Davey would agree to that?"

Sookie laughed. "Please, it's like pulling teeth to get him to talk on the phone. Maybe after they have kids I can start dropping in to play grandma, then I'll get to see them more, right?"

"Well," Lorelai frowned.

"Ooh, and you and I will get to be grandmas together!" she squealed, her eyes now shining from the ideas that were leaping into her head. "You know, with Anna and Will practically ready for all this as well!"

"Now, Sook,we don't know that, just," she shook her head, grinding her teeth a little as she tried to think of a way to get Sookie off of this particular tangent.

"Everything almost ready?" Anna poked her head into the kitchen. "Mom, you okay?"

"She's fine, Ann, just a little excited," Lorelai answered. "We'll be right out. Why don't you get the games started?"

Anna nodded and went back into the other room. Lorelai turned to Sookie, who looked at her knowingly.

"They are right there, aren't they?"

"I think so. But we have to let them get there by themselves. So, let's just focus on today, and Mallory's shower, and go have some fun, okay?"

"Yeah. Okay, you're right. It's Mallory's day. I'm fine," she nodded, taking the chocolate off the heat.

Lorelai nodded and grabbed as many platters as she could carry on her way back into the living room, where Anna and Rory were passing out the ribbons to pin onto clothing, that were to be confiscated from anyone that said the word 'wedding'. This served two functions: first, it was a game that ended in a prize, and second, it stopped everyone from saying the one word that had been way too overused in the last few months. Everyone was glad to go the afternoon without the W word.

XXXX

"I still don't see how we got stuck doing all this," Ambrose complained as Jake passed him some double-sided tape.

"Shut up and work faster. The faster we get this done, the faster we can go play basketball," Jess reminded from the other end of the room, where Tristan was handing him tape to secure more decorations to the top of the banister.

"How do we get roped into this? I mean, we're guys. We don't know anything about flowers and ribbons and lace and what looks good where. Why don't the women do this?" Will asked.

"You want me to explain these women to you?" Luke asked as he moved more chairs around in the dining room, where the rehearsal dinner would occur in a few hours.

"And I am the groom; I shouldn't have to help out at all, right?" Dave asked.

"You're the reason the rest of us are stuck here, you have to be here, too," Billy pointed out. "No way are you off the hook."

"It's not that bad, there's a ton of us here, and there's not that much to do," Jackson informed his sons, who seemed the most put out about the whole ordeal. "And Billy's right, we're all here because of you, so just suck it up and pretend to be interested in all the frilly things. Your marriage will be happier because of it."

"That's not true. Dad doesn't pretend to be interested in the frilly things, and his marriage is rock solid," Will protested.

"Yeah, but at what cost? When Luke ignores Lorelai's frilly things, she makes them talk to each other until he at least grunts in their direction," Jess pointed out.

"I wish that weren't true," Luke sighed.

"Why would anyone willingly live with a girl, when you could live on your own? I mean, who wants to put up with that crap?" Jake asked, having had his fill living with Ella and Rory all these years.

"Ah, the young and naïve," Tristan tossed a flower arrangement at his son's head.

"Careful!" Jackson yelled, then stopped himself. "I mean, I'd hate the girls to come back and go on a rampage if that gets messed up. Sookie's already in about a hundred different knots as it is."

"See? You're all whipped," Ambrose pointed out.

"I'm not whipped," Tristan informed him. Jake and Jess both laughed.

"I think you're being challenged," Will laughed at the response.

"What about you?" Davey turned the tables around on Will.

"I'm not whipped!" Will defended himself. "I'm doing a hell of a lot better than Mr. My Phone Bill Is Five Hundred Bucks A Month, over there," he pointed at Billy.

"My girlfriend lives in New York!" Billy held up his hands. "I never get to see her!"

"And her father sleeps soundly," Tristan added, as if to warn Billy not to say too much. He would keep more limbs in tact if he went into less detail about his love for Ella.

"Besides, this isn't my wedding we're preparing for here," Will said to Davey. "You're the one that's fallen victim to the whole 'til death do us part scheme."

"True, but you're still letting a woman move into your apartment the second you have the opportunity to have it all to yourself," Ambrose pointed out.

"Okay, boys, clearly it's time to let you all in on my surprise," Luke announced. "Since you're all starting to bicker like women," he added.

A chorus of protests met his inference. Taking last flower/ribbon bunch he had in his possession and putting it in what looked to be the place that Lorelai had gone around in a tizzy pointing and yapping at him where to position these things earlier, he turned to the waiting crowd.

"I've arranged a bachelor party for after the rehearsal."

Silence met his revelation. "What?" he barked.

"We had one," Dave reminded him.

"You had five guys at the Stars Hollow Video Arcade last night. That's not a bachelor party," Luke sighed.

"I'll second that," Jess responded.

"That's pitiful," Tristan laughed.

"Okay, I in no way want my wedding to be called off at this point," Dave said.

Jake and Ambrose made the whipped noise at the same time, earning them glares from their slightly older counterparts.

"Even we had bachelor parties," Tristan informed Will and Davey. "As insane as the women in our lives are, they aren't unreasonable."

"Are we talking like lap dances and alcohol?" Ambrose asked.

"Well, for the guys that are old enough to get into the bar, yeah," Luke smirked at his great-nephew. The three younger men grumbled about having to miss out on the one event that would have made the entire weekend worthwhile.

"I don't think this is a good idea," Will said again.

"You will go, and you'll like it," Dave informed him. "You dropped the ball, and I'll forgive you for that if you just forget what your girlfriend might think of you and just let yourself enjoy ogling the women who get paid very well to shake it for you."

"Fine," Will groaned. "But you're the one that is going to throw yourself in between me and your sister when she hears about this."

"Deal."

"Has some sort of decision been made here?" Luke groaned.

"We're in," Will nodded, causing a round of grumbling, shaking of heads, and chuckles from the rest of the men as they put the finishing touches on the Inn and headed to get changed to hit the basketball court at the high school.


	9. Chapter 9

Title: Peer Pressure

Summary: Fourth installment in the WHW series. A Trory, of course. And, you know a billion other pairings.

Rating: T, for teen. Because there are so many of them running about.

AN: This chapter is especially for K and M: to fulfill the agreement we made. It took me awhile to work it in, but it's in, girls! Thanks to everyone who had told me they've enjoyed this continuation. It's fun to write. And enjoy these pre-wedding chapters, because it's about to get a lot more complicated for the lot of them. Enjoy!

"So, you really don't want to back out of this at all?" Anna asked, sitting down on the couch with a piece of cake for her and Mal, who had been deemed unable to move for the duration of the party. Lorelai had insisted that as it was her day, everything should be fetched for her. Unless she had to go to the restroom, then she'd said she was all on her own, because that was just too gross.

"Why would I want to back out of it? You know, you have to return the gifts if you don't go through with it," Mal joked.

"It's just, you're young, and if you get married to my brother right now for the rest of your life, that's like sixty or seventy years of Davey. That's a lot of Davey."

Rory giggled as she sat down on the coffee table with her own cake. "Now, don't scare the girl. A lot of those years go by really fast. Especially when your kids are young."

"Oh boy, here we go," Ella muttered, sitting down in her favorite overstuffed armchair next to Jules.

"What?" Rory craned her head around.

"More of those 'when I was your age' stories," she complained.

"I don't tell those stories. I'm just giving expert advice. I have been happily married nineteen years."

"Wow. That sounds like forever," Lorelai mused. "Don't you miss the good old days, when testosterone was just a side dish we got with our burgers at Luke's?"

"It's funny, now I can't even imagine you two not with your men, but back then you never really even let a guy through the front door," Sookie joined the group as everyone had cake and had resettled in the living room.

"I can't imagine Mom not having Dad around to gross us out constantly," Ella commented.

"Without him there would be no you to gross out," Rory rebutted. "And we aren't that bad!"

"It's like you can't say no to him!" she countered.

"That's not true! She hated him when she first met him," Lorelai remembered.

"What?" Ella asked incredulously.

Rory smiled and blushed. "Well, he was obnoxious."

"He still is," Lorelai pointed out.

"Thank you, Mom," Rory smiled sweetly.

"I didn't like Dave when I first met him, either," Mal confided.

"What?" Sookie asked.

"Well, he had come over for Bree, and he was really angry," she explained, "I mean, now I understand why, and I didn't like her much either, but he didn't exactly give a great first impression. But the second time he came over, even though he was just as stand-offish to her and sort of mean, when he saw me he just gave me this knowing smile. Like he knew what it must be like to live with her. And, I don't know. Something happened."

"Something called Love," Sookie mused happily, near breaking out into song happy.

"What about you, Mom, did you hate Luke when you first met him?"

"Um, yes! He refused me service."

"You were barefoot and in cut-offs and a T-shirt that said 'This Jane prefers Spot over Dick,'" Rory proffered.

"Well, I was running late," she exasperated, as if it had just happened earlier that afternoon.

"You don't have a shirt that says that!" Jules exclaimed.

"It's still upstairs, somewhere," Lorelai frowned.

"If I find it?" Jules led.

"It's yours," she smiled and nodded.

"Yes, Jess will love that," Rory giggled. "Ooh, Gwen, how about you? Did you hate Jess when you first met him?"

Gwen smiled. "No, but I was sure he thought I was an idiot."

"Never," Lorelai assured her.

"I got lost and had to stop for directions. He was manning the counter at Luke's. I don't know what it was about him. He just looked, I don't know, so happy to see me. Like he was waiting for me."

"Maybe Jess is psychic! All that hair gel seeped into his head and altered his brain chemicals!" Lorelai bounced in her seat a little at her epiphany.

"Trust me, Dad's not psychic," Jules chortled.

"Well, I don't know what it was. I just suddenly didn't care that I was lost."

"This town does have a sort of gravitational pull quality to it, doesn't it?" Lorelai smiled.

"It really does," Rory smiled. "And it's a perfect place for weddings," she yelped as Lorelai tackled her and took her ribbon.

"Ouch! You're supposed to take the ribbon, not the skin underneath it!" Rory rubbed her shoulder.

"Baby," Lorelai stuck her tongue out as she pinned the ribbon to her shirt.

"Speaking of babies," Sookie smiled. "Any plans in the near future to make me a grandma?" she hinted not so subtly.

"Uh, well, we haven't nailed down the specifics, no," Mal blushed.

"Don't listen to her. She shouldn't be bugging you about that," Anna shot her mother a look.

"Don't make me start in on you, Missy," Sookie pointed at her daughter.

"What did I do?"

"Well, you've been dating Will for almost a year now."

"Sook," Lorelai warned.

"So?"

"So, do you two have any plans concerning flower-infused churches and the making of vows?" Sookie elaborated.

"See? Now she dodged the W word very well, take a lesson," Lorelai informed Rory, who stuck her tongue out at her mother.

"We have no plans," Anna informed her, looking her dead in the eyes.

"Doesn't mean he doesn't have plans," Ella said.

Anna and Lorelai's heads snapped up at the girl's words.

"What? Did he say something to you?" Anna asked.

"No, it's just… well, don't most guys do the asking? So they have to have it planned out before they ask, right? I'm just saying," Ella moved to hide behind Jules as all the older women looked at her for an explanation.

"Well, that's true. Most guys do ask," Gwen tried to help the younger girl.

Rory noted the trapped look on her daughter's face and the panic on her mother's and stood up to retrieve the largest of the presents. "I think it's present time, or we'll never make it to the rehearsal on time," she segued quickly. "Where's my camera?" she moved to find it as Mal patted Anna's knee and started ripping at the paper.

XXXX

Jess and Tristan were the only ones left on the court, the rest of the men having headed off to take their showers. They were lying on their backs on the concrete pad, staring up at the sky that was beginning to show the streaks of dusk.

"So, they freaked?" Tristan asked.

"Yep."

"But they like her."

"They like her."

"So, that's good, right?"

"I guess. I don't know. I'm not so up on the dating post-divorce thing. I mean, my mom never cared what kind of psychological damage she was inflicting upon me, so maybe I'm just doomed no matter what."

"Just don't let them catch you naked."

"You're so helpful."

"Have them come to me and Rory if they need anything at night," he offered.

Jess snorted. "Yeah, because seeing you two having sex would be so much less traumatic than seeing me and Gwen," he shook his head. "I don't like having to worry about this stuff. I never worried about this stuff with Erin."

"You can't compare the situations."

"I know."

"Look at it this way. We might be sharing a room after they hear about the bachelor party," Tristan laughed as he sat up and ruffled his hair in back to get any small pieces of gravel out of it.

"Rory would put you out for that?"

"More out of solidarity than anything else," Tristan smiled, able to hear her rant now.

"I have no idea if Gwen would even care."

"So, ask her."

"Remember when dating was easy?" Jess asked, sitting up next to his friend.

"No. Not really."

"Me either."

XXXX

Mallory stopped short of holding the gift up, or even prying it out of the box. She just peered down into the box, blushing.

"What's wrong? What is it?" Anna asked, looking down at Mal's lap. "Ohmigod."

"What?" the other girls asked, now completely curious.

"Uh, it's uh," Mal begrudgingly held up the book, causing a round of giggles to erupt around the room.

"Who gave you that?" Rory managed through the tears and giggles that were overcoming her.

"I don't know," Mal shrugged, "No card."

"It was me," Sookie said, slightly miffed. "What's so funny?"

"Oh, Sook, tell me it was a gag gift!" Lorelai held her hands to her chest, as if to still the convulsions that were shaking her shoulders.

"No! What's so funny?" Sookie demanded.

"_The Complete Idiot's Guide to Amazing Sex_?" Lorelai managed. "Sookie, come on!"

"What?"

Lorelai crawled over and took the book from Mal's hands, cleared her throat, and flipped the book open.

"Oooh, geez," Rory put her head in her hands, still shaking from merriment.

"And I quote, 'Sex is not like riding a bike. … But when it comes to sex, it's a whole new balancing act every time you hop on for a ride. …' Oooh, ooh, 'In this chapter, get the facts of sex education, and find out reasons why people have sex!'"

Every last woman, including Sookie, was in tears and hanging onto the woman next to her by the time Lorelai was done. "Why would you ever by such a book?"

"Having a good sex life is very important," Sookie began, but noticing the younger girls in the room, she added, "In a marriage."

"Honey, I agree, but don't you think they can figure this all out on their own? I don't think they need a how-to guide," Lorelai informed her. "Ooh, hey, can I keep this? I think it would make the perfect Christmas present for Michel!"

"Now, that's evil," Sookie pointed at her.

"Um, thanks, Sookie," Mal offered, still blushing and crying.

"I'll get you something better," she cringed.

"No, you've done so much for us already, it's more than enough, really," she insisted.

"Nice save," Anna whispered to Mallory, who gave a tight smile.

That having been the last of the presents, the party broke up into cleaning committees and small chat groups. They had just a half hour before the rehearsal would begin.

Lorelai came up to Gwen and presented her with a wrapped gift. "For you, the winner of the ribbon contest!"

"But you have most all the ribbons," Gwen held up her hand in protest.

"Well, I'm the hostess, so I can't win, and you're the only one I didn't steal a ribbon from, so it still kind of works," she grinned. "Open it!"

Gwen laughed at the reasoning and opened up the gift. She opened the small box and found two gift certificates for a weekend in the honeymoon suite at the Dragonfly Inn.

"Oh, Lorelai, this is so nice of you!" she hugged her.

"What would you have done if I won that?" Ella asked, peering at the contents.

"You and I would have had a lovely time," Rory smirked at her.

Ella moved off to talk to Jules to properly ignore her mother. "So, are you going to take Jess?" Rory nudged playfully.

"If he's good," she joked back.

"A woman that keeps him in his place, I like that," Rory put her arm around the woman and led her into the kitchen so they could help hasten the clean up process.


	10. Chapter 10

Title: Peer Pressure

Summary: Fourth installment in the WHW series. A Trory, of course. And, you know a billion other pairings.

Rating: T, for teen. Because there are so many of them running about.

"You're sure you're okay? Completely unscathed? No one convinced you I was the devil or on the lam or responsible for the _Legally Blonde_ series?" Jess looked Gwen over, to make sure she had no apparent marks from her time spent 'in the trenches,' as he'd put it.

She smacked at his chest and giggled. "No," she paused dramatically, "Unless you're 'fessing up to one or more of those things. You do put up quite a bit of protesting for an innocent man."

"I admit to nothing," he smirked, pulling her close. "You really had a good time?" he sighed into her hair.

"I did. I even got a present."

"A present?" he asked with interest. "What kind of presents does one acquire at a bridal shower? Jordan almonds? Those tiny bottles of bubbles? Some kind of instructional guide for getting your man to commit?"

"Wow, you've been to a lot of bridal showers in your day, haven't you?" she teased, sliding out of his grasp.

"You aren't going to tell me?" his eyes widened.

"Not just yet," she bit her lip playfully. "We'll see if you earn it."

"Earn what?" he asked.

"It's no good, Jess, this one is too smart for you. We tried to tell her, but whatever poison you inject into your women to blind them to your faults has clearly already set in. Nothing we could do to save her," Lorelai said as she passed the pair.

"Mom, stop," Rory chided as she came down the stairs, Tristan in tow.

"You aren't allowed to comment, he got to you years before, and you're still nice to him. I don't know what I'll do with any of you," she threw her hands up in the air as she passed out of the room, in search of the bride and groom.

XXXX

"Okay, so then you turn and hold hands, then you'll recite your vows, kiss, and the minister will announce you husband and wife."

"Then we get out of here?" Dave asked.

"Well, you can't go far," Lorelai giggled. "Just head out the main doors, to receive everyone, so people can roam the grounds while we put finishing touches on the reception area. Which, we'll be needing everyone's help with, by the way."

"I thought that's what we did this morning," Billy said from his place next to Will in the procession.

"You got it mostly ready. There are some things we can't do until tomorrow."

"I hate weddings," Billy mumbled.

"Is that it, Mom?" Will asked, knowing the boys were all anxious to get the show on the road, and there was still dinner to get through.

"Yeah. Does anyone have any questions?"

She looked around the room, to see that there were already small discussion groups forming. Her son and Anna were making sickening glances at each other from behind the other wedding party members, Jess was making Gwen giggle by whispering in her ear, Rory was watching with Tristan's arms wrapped around her waist, supporting her from behind as they stood in the back of the room. She was ready to snuggle up with her man as well.

"Alright, dismissed to the dining room!"

The crowd slowly made its way in, where food had been placed ready for the taking. Only the bride and groom stayed behind, Mal looking over the décor and set up for the next day.

Will approached Anna, who'd been unable to take her eyes off of him the entirety of the rehearsal. He had to admit, he would much rather go home with her tonight than hit a strip club with his family and friends. And frankly, he didn't care if that made him whipped.

"Whatcha' thinking about?" she sidled up against him as they waited in the longish line for food.

"You."

"Hmm. Are you thinking good things?" she asked, Ella's idea still in her head from the shower.

"Very good things."

They shared a smile, and he leaned down to kiss her. Maybe the best man wouldn't be missed at the bachelor party. Maybe he could just sneak out with her, take her back to the apartment, without anyone being the wiser.

"I CAN'T BELIEVE YOU WOULD EVEN SAY THAT TO ME!"

"Was that Mal?" Anna asked, already on Will's heels as they hurried out to see what the fighting was about. He shut the doors between the main rooms and held up his hands.

"What is going on here?"

Mal turned to Anna. "I told him about that book his mom got me, the, you know, sex book?"

Will's face paled, while Anna stifled a giggle. Will looked immediately to Davey.

"Oh my God, you told her? How dumb are you?"

"What? How was I supposed to know she'd react like this?"

"You've got to be kidding me!" Mal shouted again, glaring at Davey.

"Why would you tell her about us all going to a strip club tonight?"

"You're all going to a strip club tonight?" Mal and Anna asked, both of them crossing their arms over their chests.

"Thanks, man. Thanks."

"He told me he wanted four kids in four years," Mal narrowed her eyes at him. "Big chance of that happening if you're going to be going to strip clubs."

"God, you pig!" Anna yelled at her brother. "And you, you were going with this idiot?"

"Actually, I was going to," Will started, but the others had heard the scuffle and come out to voice their own concerns.

"I mean, it was your idea, right? The best man arranges all that stuff?" Anna asked knowingly.

"It was Dad!" he yelled.

"Yeah, like anyone believes Luke wants to go to a strip club," Rory scoffed at her brother, turning to Tristan. "You were going?"

"Maybe, you know, if Jess was," he coughed.

"Unbelievable," Lorelai looked at all the men that she thought were smarter than this. "So, you're having your bachelor party tonight? Well, then us girls will have to have a bachelorette party tonight too."

"But you guys just had a party, today," Dave pointed out.

"We had a bridal shower. We haven't had a bachelorette party. It's only fair, since you're having a bachelor party, right? It's not my fault you didn't have a groomal shower!"

"That's not even a word!" he yelled.

"Let's just see how we both feel in the morning, after we've had our fun."

"Mal," he reached out for her, but she pulled back.

"Go on, go watch the sleazy girls and their poles and disease-ridden plastic-enhanced bodies dance for you. See if I care. We're going out," Mal informed him.

"Drinking," Lorelai said.

"All night long," Rory smirked.

"But you can't do that," Tristan pulled her close, talking low. "You know how you get when you drink."

Rory simply smirked at him. "Well, you should have thought about that before you agreed to go watch the other women strip. I'm sure I'll find my way home before dawn."

"Anna, I really need to talk to you a minute," Will pleaded.

"It can wait 'til tomorrow, I'm sure," she snapped.

"No, it can't," he pulled her outside, away from the bickering that was going on between couples and filling the Inn.

"Will, let go of me, now!" she ripped her elbow from his hand. "Are you insane?"

"I wasn't going to go! I was going to ask you to come back to the apartment with me," he insisted.

"Sure, Dave seemed to know all about that plan. And is he insane, with four in four?"

"I didn't know about that, either. Dave never shares his life plan with me," he shook his head. "You have to believe me. I didn't even want to go!"

"Well, don't let me stop you. I mean, we're just dating, it's not like you're as bad as Dave, who is engaged, right, or the other guys, who are all married. You're the only bachelor here," she informed him.

"Ann, don't do this."

"Don't do what? What did I say that was false?"

He looked at her for a beat, willing the words to stay down. A fight wasn't the time to do this. "Please, just come back to the apartment with me. Don't go with the girls, I won't go with the guys, please."

He could tell she was on the verge of tears, he just couldn't tell if she was going to agree or not. He reached out for her again, softer this time. He found her hand and pulled her toward him.

"Please."

"I think we should just take a breather for tonight. Go with the guys. We can talk after the wedding."

"Ann, please, that's not what I want."

"Well, I need time to think, okay? So, just go," she urged him.

He looked at her for a beat before turning around and walking away, out past the stables, leaving her to stand in place, alone as she'd requested.

XXXX

Rory came back down the stairs to meet the rest of the girls for their night out. She was dressed to the nines in a little black dress and the highest heels Lorelai owned. Her hair was upswept, and she was securing her small clutch as she descended. Tristan was sitting with Jess and Luke, also ready to leave when the rest of the boys showed up. He stood and moved to her, his eyes already filled with remorse.

"Please, please, please, don't go out tonight."

She giggled. "Now, you boys have fun tonight, okay?"

"At least go change."

"Why?"

"You look hot. You're gonna get hit on."

"So?"

"Rory, come on!"

"I'm a big girl, and I'm taking my mommy. I'll be fine," she teased, kissing him on the cheek.

"I hate this," he groaned, running his hands down the side of her body.

"Well, I must say, I'm having loads of fun so far," Gwen announced, also coming down the stairs all dressed up. It was Jess' turn to groan.

"You're punishing me, too?" he asked.

"That depends, how bad do you plan on being?" she smiled.

"Once you get home? Or before?"

"I like that answer."

"You don't mind me going out tonight?"

"Why would I care? I know who you're coming home to, right?" she whispered in his ear.

"See, now this is why I love you," he held her tightly against him for a moment before he realized the words that had eased out so quickly. "I mean, I," he stumbled.

"Shh," she urged him before kissing his cheek, leaving a faint lipstick reminder. "Have fun tonight, okay?"

He nodded, looking at her in wonder as she moved over to join the other women. Luke looked at his watch as Davey came in.

"Anyone seen or heard from Will?"

"No," he replied, looking at Anna. "You?"

She shook her head, pretending to check her purse. "We should go, though. We just have to pick Mom up. I'll go get Mal and meet you guys at the car," she said, moving upstairs to get the bride.

"Shit," Dave slumped down next to Luke as his own father came in.

"I can't believe you let the four in four and the strip club drop in the same night," Tristan laughed. "That's the kind of ammo you let loose over three years, not three minutes."

"What's wrong with four in four?" Jackson asked.

"Idiots, all of you," Luke shook his head. "Come on, let's go. We'll find Will and get the hell on with this," he announced, moving out to catch up with Lorelai before the women pulled away.

"Hey!" he called out, causing his elegant-looking wife to turn around.

"I'm sorry, I've decided to talk only with men wearing G-strings that let me tuck dollar bills into them tonight."

"I'm not going to wear a G-string for you."

"Don't be so sure about that, mister, you have some 'splaining to do."

"I'm not going to talk with the Richardo accent, either."

"It's like you've learned nothing, in all these years," she shook her head. "Don't wait up!"

"Lorelai, hang on," he said, causing her to turn once more, her face serious.

"What?"

"Just, I'm going to try to straighten the boys out. This was my idea, and I will fix it. Just, work on calming down the girls, will you?"

She narrowed her eyes at his sincerity. "Yeah, okay. But you will be providing me with some amount of amusement for all this. I may require the G-string with the Richardo accent."

"To the Moon, Alice," he smirked.

"It's better with the impression."

"The reference is enough."

"Only in your world," she bantered, disappearing behind the steering wheel and starting up the car, giving him a wave as the car full of dressed up women hit the town.

"I hate weddings," he grumbled before turning toward the car of men that was ready to set off in search of his son. And he knew just where to look.


	11. Chapter 11

Title: Peer Pressure

Summary: Fourth installment in the WHW series. A Trory, of course. And, you know a billion other pairings.

Rating: T, for teen. Because there are so many of them running about.

AN: This is the first of a two-parter. The girls aren't quite done, and we'll go back to the movie scene in the second half. But this would get really long if I kept going. Enjoy!

Jules was painting her nails as she leaned forward from the headboard. Lia sat opposite her at the foot of the large bed, painting her toenails.

"I don't know. Do you like this color? Or should it be peachier?"

"That's your dress?" Jules asked, nodding to the back of the bathroom door.

"Yep. The world's least annoying junior bridesmaid dress in the world."

Jules scrunched her nose up and considered the mix and match compatibility. "You know what, I think I have that exact color in my bag if you don't mind starting over?" she offered.

Lia grabbed for the nail polish remover and went to work on the first unfortunate color. "So, where is everyone else? Are we all doing our own things while our parents are out enjoying their evening of pre-wedding debauchery?" she giggled.

Jules rolled her eyes. "I have no idea. I know Ella and Billy are together."

"Ew," Lia commented, finishing up her removal job as Jules handed over the fresh paint color.

"You don't think they're, you know, do you?" she asked.

"She doesn't tell you that kind of stuff?" Lia asked.

Jules shook her head. "I feel funny asking her. I mean, I've so never even been close to that, you know? And Jake doesn't know if they are either."

"Billy wouldn't tell me if he was having sex. There's no way he'd offer that kind of dirt up on a platter," Lia giggled. "All I know is he's really excited about her being at Yale and they're completely disgusting on the phone."

"That they are," Jules agreed, holding up her finished hand. "Well?"

Lia nodded. "I like it. I wish I could wear it for tomorrow," she sighed.

"Totally wouldn't match," Jules nodded. "It is nice only having to be a spectator at this thing," she agreed.

"It's not too bad. Mal's cool. Mom's gone insane. If Davey doesn't ruin it between now and tomorrow night, it should be a nice day," her eyes widened in disbelief. Everyone had been around for the big blow up, and all the girls had watched in awe as their mothers got ready for the night out; dressing up to drive their respective mates insanely jealous.

"It'll be okay. They all just needed to blow off some steam," she shrugged.

A knock came to the door, and Jules called out for the person to enter. Jake stuck his head in and drew back from the smell.

"God, what are you guys doing?"

"What does it look like?" Lia asked redundantly.

"That stuff smells," he commented.

"Do you have a point or is this some sort of public service announcement?" Jules asked.

"Actually, I was wondering if I could talk to you, in private?"

"Oh, um, sure," she said, screwing the lid back down on her nail polish and putting it back on the bedside table. "I'll see you later?" she asked Lia, who nodded and blew on her nails to help dry them faster.

Jules hopped up and followed Jake, careful of her nearly dry nails as she closed the door behind him and walked down the hall of the Inn. "Your room?" she asked.

"Nah, Am is in there, reading. Can we hit yours? Ella's got to be off with Billy," he suggested.

"Speaking of which, where are they?"

He shrugged. "The less I know about my sister's comings and goings, the better Mom lets me sleep," he groaned.

Jules laughed. "I can see how you've adopted such a policy. Rory can be rather insistent when she gets going."

"It's called annoying," he corrected as he opened to door to her room and stepped aside as she moved in and hopped on the bed, ready to chat with her friend.

"So, what's up?" she asked, wondering what was so private that they needed to leave Lia.

"Nothing, I mean, I just wanted to see how you were doing. You know, with everything," he sat down next to her on the bed, looking at her intently.

Jules frowned for a moment before readjusting herself slightly away from him, crossing her legs Indian-style in front of her. "Things are fine."

"Have you talked to your mom?"

Jules bit her lip. "No. Not yet. Dad told me I need to, though. He brought Gwen around; he wants us to spend more time with her."

"You like her?"

"Yeah. I mean, she's cool, and she makes Dad happy."

"What about you?"

"What about me?"

"Are you happy?" he leaned closer, studying her.

"Are you okay?" she furrowed her eyebrows.

"Me? I'm fine, why?" he straightened up, backing off at her standoffish behavior.

"You're acting weird. You're like, staring at me. Do I have something on my face? Nail polish in my hair?"

"No, you look great."

Jules nodded slowly, surprised by his comeback. "So, uh, you want to watch a movie or something? I brought a few with me, or we could just flip through the TV," she suggested, needing some alternate activity other than talking with Jake right at the moment.

"Movie sounds good," he nodded, getting up to put one in, allowing her to settle in comfortably before sitting with his shoulder brushing against hers, neither of them moving or speaking for the duration of the movie.

XXXX

The women were seated around a large table in a dimly lit club in Hartford. Everyone was on their fourth round of drinks except Lorelai, the designated driver. She was on her third Shirley Temple. Sookie was consoling Mal, assuring her that the desire for four in four was a genetic malfunction in the eldest male in the Melville family, and even though she had produced four kids, she hadn't done it in four years, and certainly no one would expect Mal to have four children if she didn't want that many.

"I just can't believe he thinks he can just start pulling this kind of stuff, I mean, we've been so in sync this whole time, and now, it's just like," she attempted to snap her fingers, but she missed and her thumb just sort of slid down the length of her finger. Very different results.

"Hehhehehe, NSYNC," Rory giggled, feeling no pain as her fourth drink—her second Long Island Iced Tea—kicked in. Gwen laughed out loud as well, and put her arm around her.

Lorelai rolled her eyes at the two, and Anna put her martini glass down hard against the table. "It's men—all men. They're idiots! They think they're just going to have everything the way they want it, like we're just going to be there to give them whatever they want! Like how they want the cake, but don't want to make it. No, that's not the right one," she frowned, trying to remember the saying.

"Noo," Rory and Gwen disagreed.

"No, it's true, it is!" Sookie pointed to her daughter. "Jackson's the same way. He didn't want the bear, so no more bear, he wanted to deep fry the front yard, and poof! Peanut oil!"

"Okay, I think it's time to cut you all off," Lorelai frowned, beginning to wonder how she was supposed to corral five drunk, crazy women at the end of the night.

"You just have to know how to work men," Rory reached out for Anna's hand. "I assume you want to work Will?"

"Oh sweet mother almighty," Lorelai put her head down on her arms against the table.

"No, I don't want to talk about Will," Anna decided, shaking her head. She let out a long breath and began again, "I mean, one minute he's all sweet, and I think he's thinking what I'm thinking, and the next, he's going to see women strip!"

"So, you're against the strippers?" Gwen asked. "You know, to be fair, the strippers aren't for Will. They're for Eddy."

"Davey," Rory corrected.

"Right, Davey, sorry," she looked to Mal, who waved her hand carelessly.

"It's the principle of the thing. Don't you care that your boyfriend is off watching mostly naked woman parade around?"

"Is Jess your boyfriend?" Rory asked, now intent on Gwen.

"Jess is the man I'm dating. We haven't had that talk yet. So, I can't really be upset about the whole him staring at other women naked thing, but I will tell you this, getting upset about things like this? Not going to help you out," she observed.

"True," Rory and Lorelai said in unison.

"What?" Mal and Anna asked, both rather incredulous.

"Look at it this way; do you think he's going to be intimate with one of these women?" Rory asked.

"Well, no, but," Anna began.

"Do you honestly think that he's having a good time knowing he could be with you instead, even if you weren't out all dressed up like you are; and that he wouldn't rather be anywhere you are anyhow?"

"I don't know," Anna lied.

"Can we get back to the whole four in four thing, here? Because seriously, if he isn't kidding, that's not even healthy!" Mal nudged back in to the conversation.

XXXX

"Forget the girls!" Davey knocked his shoulder into Will's. "Do you not see the naked girls dancing around on stage?"

"Do you not understand that the only girl I was hoping to see naked tonight was Anna?" Will shot back, causing Davey to grimace.

"You're taking all the fun out of my bachelor party!"

"I'm gonna kill Lorelai," Tristan griped.

"Excuse me?" Luke cocked an eyebrow.

"I just mean, it was her idea for the girls to go out. You did see them, didn't you? They were barely covered," he said, ignoring the goings on in front of him.

"Can we just do whatever it is we're here to do and get back? Some of us have hopes of getting laid later," Jess took a swig of beer.

"It's all well and good for you, you're getting married tomorrow. I'm never getting married, because for all I know, Ann doesn't even want to ever speak to me again," Will informed his best friend.

Jackson came back from the bathroom, looking sufficiently freaked out. "What are we talking about?" he asked Luke.

"You so don't want to know," he informed him.

"I'll take you word for that," he nodded, sitting back as a woman came around to ask if anyone would like a lap dance. After noting the distressed looks on the faces in the group, she moved on without the hard court press.

"This is the most depressing bachelor party ever," Dave said, sulking slightly.

"Whatever. Get a lap dance, go into the back room, have the last night of freedom you want. I gotta get out of here," Will stood up and made for the exit, Luke hot on his heels. They stopped out in the parking lot, leaning up against the back of the Melville party wagon.

"I'll take you home, you can tell her all this, and it'll be fine," Luke said. He had found his son thinking in the office space above the diner just a couple of hours before, and had convinced him to blow off steam with the other men. That it would no good to wait around in town as the women were all going out themselves. Anna included. That she'd seemed okay, so he might as well come and let her cool off. Will had remained fairly silent, but relented to join the group.

"She said I was free to do whatever I want."

"What?"

"Ann. Earlier, she said I was a bachelor and free to do whatever I wanted to do."

"Ah. And you said?"

"I tried to get her to come back to the apartment."

"You have to give women a cooling off period, Will. She won't be mad tomorrow, or at least, as upset as she was tonight. She'll realize that this was just a stupid fight."

"I don't even want to be here. It's insane. Jess wants to go, Tristan wants to be with Rory, you'd rather be with Mom—Dave just wants to do this because it's what they did in every single stupid 80s movie that featured a wedding."

Luke chuckled. "I guess that's true. But it seemed important to him. And that's important, too, being a good friend. No matter how inane the request they have is."

Will looked at his Dad, catching his meaning. "Being a best man is hard."

"Yeah, well, you remember that when Dave looses the ring before your wedding."

"No way," Will shook his head, hitting his dad on the shoulder. "I want it to be you."

"What?" Luke asked, surprised.

"Will you?"

Luke nodded and then laughed. "Well, on one condition."

"Name it," Will nodded.

"Ask her soon. You're making everyone crazy."

Will smiled and nodded. "I guess you're right."

"You can have your grandma's ring, if you want it. I offered it to Jess, but he wanted me to save it for my son," he explained.

"Really?" Will asked.

"Really. I'll get it out of the safe when we get back."

Will just nodded and sat with his dad in silence for a few minutes. After about ten minutes of silent reveling, Jess and Tristan emerged out of the club, ties loosened and Jackson hot on their heels. A reluctant Dave followed.

"So, I never got the whole point of the strip club. You go, you get a woman to get you worked up, and then you don't get to touch her, right?" Jackson asked.

Tristan and Jess nodded. "Pretty much."

"What good does that do?" he posed.

"Prepares you for marriage," Jess retorted bitterly.

"Not my marriage," Tristan smiled. "Can we go now?"


	12. Chapter 12

Title: Peer Pressure

Summary: Fourth installment in the WHW series. A Trory, of course. And, you know a billion other pairings.

Rating: T, for teen. Because there are so many of them running about.

AN: And now, part two….

Jess and Tristan sat waiting in the lobby of the Dragonfly Inn, knowing from Luke's warning call Lorelai had just made that the girls were on their way home and all the women except her were properly trashed. Luke had smiled and told her not to worry, he'd still make sure her evening wasn't a bust. To which all the other men in the car had cat-called and made fake barfing noises. But the importance of the call had made its way through: Jess and Tristan were eager to sweep their women off their feet and enjoy the benefits of the night spent pouring mixed drinks down their throats.

When the women came stumbling into the Inn, arm in arm and giggling, the men immediately stood and moved to disentangle their drunken limbs. Rory immediately wrapped her arms around Tristan's neck and stumbled further into him.

"Hi," she giggled, looking up into his gleeful eyes.

"Hi," he returned.

"Been waiting long?"

"My whole life," he whispered into her ear. "Wanna go upstairs?"

"After you," she tried to motion for him to go ahead of her, but she misstepped out of his grip and almost fell down.

"Let's try this instead," he picked her up, throwing her over his shoulder as he began to ascend the staircase, leaving Jess with an equally giggly Gwen.

"Are you going to be my fireman?" she teased, referring to the other couple's exit.

"Is that what you want me to be?" he leaned down to skim his lips along her jaw line, which caused her to shudder in his arms.

"I just want you," she poked his chest before spider-crawling her fingers slowly up to his neck, "to be you. With me," she grinned knowingly.

"I can handle that. Can you handle the stairs?" he asked, wishing that she'd ask for his help, as he was sure he would get them to their room faster, and faster was better when he had her so ready to be at his mercy.

"I can handle letting you carry me," she nodded seriously.

"Yes, ma'am," he nodded before scooping her up quickly as she let out a happy squeal and taking her up the stairs to their room.

XXXX

Will stood outside the door to his apartment for about a half a second before digging his hand into his pocket to fish out his car keys. A moment later, he was starting up his engine and heading off where he needed to go: to find Anna. He knew there were only two places she would be to sleep: his apartment or her parents' house. And there was no way she would come back to his place tonight. Too many things had been said. She would be in the comfort of her childhood room, trying to put him out of her mind. And from the sounds of it, trying to sleep off all the spirits she downed at the club.

He parked out front of the Melville house, and he considered for the first time how to get Anna's attention without waking up anyone else in the house, namely her parents. Dave was also sleeping there this evening, abiding by the old rule of spending the night before the wedding apart from your intended. Not to mention that Mal was just as ticked at Dave as Anna had been at him. But after all that had gone down after the rehearsal, he just wanted to catch her attention and get her to smile. And to do that, he couldn't just barge into the front door, like he'd done his whole life.

For starters, he walked around into the backyard, only stopping when her bedroom window came into view. He looked around for something to throw at her window, and was surprised at the lack of rocks and pebbles in the backyard. The garden was meticulous, as always, and he reached in his pocket to pull out change. Selecting a penny, he launched it up at her window, striking gold as it clinked against the glass.

He waited silently, watching for any sign of movement. After a few moments had passed, he picked out another penny and tried again. This time a soft light clicked on and after a beat, her window cracked open. Once he saw her head stick out of the opening, he waved.

"What are you doing?" she asked.

"Ann, come down here!"

"No!"

"No?"

"Were you throwing coins at my window?"

"Pennies."

"How drunk are you? You were pitching pennies at me?" she asked incredulously.

"Ann, shh, come down here!"

"NO, no, I don't think so," she shook her head, moving back as if she was going to shut the window.

"NO, wait!" he called out urgently.

She stuck her head back out the window, looking rather impatient, but willing to hear out what he just had to say. Now he had to say something to keep her attention, something to make her come down. Something true.

"What? What do you have to say to me that can't wait?"

He could only think of one thing. "Will you marry me?"

Her mouth dropped open, her hand moved to her chest, and he could tell that she had sat down on her window seat. Obviously he'd gotten her attention. But perhaps he'd rendered her unable to move. He needed her to come down, he needed now more than anything else to fix this and hold her while he waited for her answer.

"Ann? Can you please come down?"

She nodded wordlessly, and then her window shut. He stood in the lawn, the weight of the words he's just spoken washing over him. He had no idea what he was in for when she emerged out of the back door. He just knew that he was bolted in place until he found out.

She did just that, about two minutes after she closed her window, shutting the door carefully behind her. She'd not had the foresight to grab a sweater, and in the chilly night air, her arms wrapped around her torso to keep herself warm. He hesitated in touching her, as her gaze was far off and not on him. He reached out anyhow, and rubbed his hands up and down her arms.

"Ann?"

"Do you remember when we were little, and you and Dave used to set up a haunted house in his room to scare me?"

Will nodded. It'd happened a lot, as Anna delighted in being scared and they'd delighted in doing the scaring. They'd been rather inventive in their methods of scaring her, as well. Davey had been more interested in torturing his younger sibling, and she'd known it. Will knew that, as he'd always been the one she'd hide behind and cling to as she called for her mother to save her.

"You guys would scare the crap out of me, but still, when I was so scared I could barely breathe, I'd still go to you, because I felt safer near you," she smiled softly. "And just now, when you asked me," she paused, looking into his eyes, "I felt scared, but all I wanted was for you to be there to hold me."

"Ann," he closed his eyes as she nuzzled against him. "This whole night was insane. It was just you I wanted to be with. It's always you I want to be with. I've been thinking about nothing else for weeks, I want to marry you."

She pulled back again to be able to look into his eyes, to see the sincerity with which he spoke. "I wanna marry you, too."

He ran a hand through her hair, just like he had back then to comfort her. He smiled at her, at her answer, at the shockwaves that it resonated over his body. "Really?"

"Really," she nodded, her eyes sparkling.

He kissed her, holding her tightly against him, so glad to be near her after the events of the evening. Not that he could complain about how it was ending up, but it had been torture that affected his whole being up until this point. He lifted her up a bit, to bring her level with him, and continued to lavish his affection on her. He never wanted to stop experiencing this moment.

At long last he let her down on her feet, noticing for the first time she'd begun laughing and crying.

"We're doing this?" she asked as if she didn't quite trust her memory.

"Not gonna let you back out now," he shook his head, his hands still wrapped around her, holding her against his warmth.

"Hey, it's not official 'til I have a ring on my finger," she joked.

"I'll have it tomorrow," he explained.

"You really were planning this?" he could tell in the moonlight that she paled at the realization.

He smiled. "Now will you come home with me?"

She nodded and motioned for him to wait as she went back inside to slip some shoes on and grab a few personal items. It suddenly hit him that the decision they made was one they couldn't share with their families tomorrow, at the risk of displacing the attention off of the bride and groom. He supposed it would be easy enough to wait a day, seeing as Luke promised to get him the ring tomorrow anyhow. It wouldn't be noticeable as long as her finger was still bare.

She emerged back out the door, this time looking a bit more prepared to be outside. "Ready?" she asked.

He took her hand in his. "Ready."

XXXX

The movie was nearing its end. A few weird giggling noises and shrieks had been heard during the duration, but Jake had just bumped up the volume, allowing the pair to override the noise. Jules had settled back against the pillows, relaxing over the two hour time span next to Jake. It was getting late, and he knew that she would want to go to sleep as soon as the credits rolled. He slowly extended his arm around her as the hero found the girl in the burning building on the screen. She turned to face him out of confusion.

"Jake, what are you," she began, but he closed in the distance between them.

His lips barely touched hers as she her fist connected with his eye.

"Ouch! Shit!" he yelled, holding his face. "What was that for?"

"What the hell were you doing?" she yelled. "I can't believe you would . . . I have to go," she scurried off the bed and out the room. Jake sat with his head in his hands, his eye throbbing, until the realization of where she was likely to be headed right at this moment hit him. He needed to flee.

XXXX

Jules did knock, but she tried the door handle at the same time. Evidently the knock had alerted the adults on the other side of the door, but it hadn't allowed them much reaction time. As the door creaked open, she saw a sheet with blonde hair flying behind it, disappearing into the closet. Her father sat alone on the bed, a pillow having been grabbed for cover.

"Uh, Jules," he began, words not coming easily until he saw she was crying.

"What happened," he got up, grabbing his boxers and sliding them on behind the pillow as he moved toward his daughter. "Talk," he instructed.

"Dad," she cried, still looking at the closet door, "Shouldn't you get her out of there?" she pointed.

"You can't stop people from jumping in closets, and you can't coax them out either, she's fine, tell me about you. Why are you crying?"

"It's just, Jake, we were watching a movie, and he tried," she sobbed harder, grabbing onto her father's shoulders as she talked.

"He tried what?" he asked purposefully as his teeth gritted.

"To kiss me. And I hit him," she cried harder.

"You," he paused, taking in the scene in his mind. "Hit him?" his voice softened.

"It's just, I didn't know what was happening, and it freaked me out. I could just hear your voice in my head, telling me the best way to get a guy off me was," she began.

"A well-placed punch," he finished, causing her to nod.

"Yeah," she gulped. "He's gonna hate me, it's just, I didn't know what else to do," she breathed.

"It's okay. He's your friend, he'll realize his actions weren't welcomed, and it'll all be fine. Let's get you back to your room," he rubbed his hand over her back as he turned her toward the hallway. He walked her back, still drying her tears. Ambrose came out his room, tired of all the noise.

"What now?" he asked, clearly agitated 'til he saw his mostly naked father and his crying sister.

"She had a run-in, she's fine."

"And you?" he cocked an eyebrow.

"I had a disruption, I, too, am fine," he said. "You can sit with you sister if you like or you can go look for Jake. You cannot continue questioning me."

"Jules?" Am asked. "You want me to stick with you or go on a manhunt?"

"Stay with me? He probably doesn't want to see anyone right now, anyway," she sniffled.

Ambrose looked to Jess and nodded, signifying his taking over from here. Jess handed the girl over to her brother and padded down the hall at a jog, ready to extract an embarrassed Gwen from the closet so he could take his covers back.


	13. Chapter 13

Title: Peer Pressure

Summary: Fourth installment in the WHW series. A Trory, of course. And, you know a billion other pairings.

Rating: T, for teen. Because there are so many of them running about.

"Oh no, no way!" Gwen shook her head, holding the sheet steadfast against her, despite his attempts to pull it away, so that he could slide over and warm her with just his body.

"It's not such the crisis situation that you are imagining," Jess assured her, as she continued to glare at him. She'd forgotten her own self-pity as Jess returned to the room alone, in his boxers, to tell her it was safe to come out of the closet and let her in on what had spurred his daughter to propel so thoughtlessly into their room. She'd felt badly for Jules, remembering what it was like to be fifteen, and comforted Jess until he ended up laughing at the situation.

He'd been especially proud that Jules had hit a guy, even if that guy had been Jake. He would hear no end of it from Rory, he was sure, but it was worth it to know his daughter could hold her own. And it didn't hurt to have someone to curl up around last night, to focus on Gwen's even, unworried breath as she fell to sleep had helped him as well. But now, in light of morning, the thought of attending a wedding alongside the girl that had burst into their room while they were doing. . . that. . . well, now the embarrassment was registering, and she wasn't budging from the bed.

"So, you're saying that everyone won't be circulating this story around the wedding?"

He grinned, but ducked his head to kiss her shoulder in attempts to cover. "Look, I'll take your mind off the whispers," he assured her, as she leered at him.

"Jules isn't the only one that has a mean right hook," she warned.

"Oh, come on," he finally tore the sheet out of her tightly grasped palm. "How about I make you forget all about the intrusion now, and you protect me from Rory later," he wagered.

"Why would you need protection?" she sighed, letting his weight sink onto her.

"Ever seen Rory when she's pissed? Not a pretty picture," he tsked. "And if my kid hit her kid, she didn't do so without a trace. There's gonna be some evidence, swelling, discoloration."

"You think she gave him a shiner?"

Jess snorted. "Oh yeah. She's tough, just like me."

"If you're so tough, why are you afraid of Rory?" she chided, enjoying the freedom of being here like this, with him, after having waited so long for the pleasure.

He looked at her for a beat, considering her as she lay pressed underneath him, using his body as a cover.

"You're really up for all this, aren't you?" he asked in all seriousness.

She furrowed her brows, not having expected the turn into the more somber tone he'd acquired. She reached a hand up, placing it gently on his cheek, letting his early morning stubble tickle her palm.

"I'm not planning on going anywhere," she whispered.

She kissed him, now willing to go to the wedding in just the bed sheet if that's what he wanted, as long as she could keep this memory of being so free to be with him, feeling like there was no where else she would rather be at the moment in time.

XXXX

Luke poked her, his finger digging in between two ribs, causing her to cry out in pain. When several attempts to bat his hand away from her torso failed, she sat up in protest.

"What?"

"Damn phone, keeps ringing," he grunted, pulling his pillow over his head as she realized the phone was, in fact, ringing.

"So, answer it!"

"Not for me, today," he managed from under the down.

"What do you mean, it's, ohmigod," she grabbed the receiver from across Luke's body.

"It's five-thirty!" she answered.

"I can't find Anna!"

"But, it's five-thirty!"

"Lorelai! She isn't in her bed!"

"Should she be?" Lorelai yawned. It was no secret that even though Anna was officially living at home until Davey left a vacancy at Will's apartment Anna was able to be found sleeping over quite frequently.

"Do you not remember how angry she was last night? Why would she have gone over there? Where could she be? You don't think she just took off, do you?"

"Sook, calm down. Go back to bed, she'll either be back when you get up or we'll find her at that point. But right now, it's five-thirty," she clarified.

Luke groaned from under his pillow, and she patted his stomach through the covers.

"You have to help me find her! She's the only one that had the seating arrangements last, and I just realized that we had Jackson's aunt Bon Bon next to my uncle Herbert."

"I'm sorry, but Bon Bon?" she yawned widely, still grazing her nails over the sheet that covered Luke's torso, absentmindedly.

"They can't sit next to each other! Bon Bon will get drunk, and ask Herbert about the times he spent in the war, he'll lose track of how many drinks he's had, and then someone will end up falling on the cake. My beautiful, magnificent cake!"

"See, now I think Bon Bon is a much better name for a cake than a person," Lorelai mused.

Luke groaned again, and Lorelai slipped out of bed, willing to take the conversation that he deemed inane and not worth discussing at this ungodly hour down to the kitchen.

"And so I went in, to get her up and make her hand it over, but she wasn't in her bed! And I went down to the couch, just to make sure, she sleeps with the TV on sometimes, I've never been able to break her of that habit, it's just like Jackson and finding him out in the garden, I just--," Sookie rambled on as Lorelai nodded silently, rooting around to make coffee in her kitchen. She gasped as she saw a form sleeping in Will's bed, recognizing her grandson instantly.

"Uh, Sook, I'm gonna have to call you back," she cut in.

"But, what about Anna and the seating chart?" she cried.

"It's gonna be fine. When the sun has finished coming up, we'll find Anna, she'll fix the seating chart, the world will keep spinning as planned. I gotta go." She hung up abruptly, and walked quietly in to check on her grandson. He was supposed to be asleep at the Inn—not that she was shocked that none of the parents had checked in on their kids last night. There could be Dugreys, Marianos, and Melvilles all over Stars Hollow. She shuddered at the thought, until she saw the dark, almost shiny, bruising that surrounded his right eye.

"Ohmigod," she gasped quietly, for the second time this morning, backing quickly out of the room. Her hand covered her heart, her mind racing with what her next course of action should be. Instantly, she turned and jogged up the stairs, much to Luke's dismay.

XXXX

"Go away, it's early. Remember early? The thing you used to avoid at all costs?" he groaned.

"Luke, wake up. We have a problem," she nudged him again, harder this time.

"What?" he sat up, his mind jumping to Will. He'd been so upset the night before, and he was worried about his son.

"Jake, he's in Will's room—with a black eye."

"A black guy?" he struggled for coherency.

"Eye, E-Y-E," she rolled her eyes.

"Geez, annunciate," he growled, lying back down.

"Get up! Do something!"

"Like what, erase it?" he mocked.

"What do I do?"

"If you must do something, call Rory. Downstairs, so I can get back to sleep," he grumbled, the pillow already back in place over his head. Sighing, Lorelai did as he suggested, beginning to dial as she left the room again, now too on edge to sleep anyhow.

XXXX

"Rory," he mumbled as the phone continued to ring. "Stupid phones," Tristan grumbled as she continued to sleep off her alcohol unwittingly to the commotion around her, and he pulled it off the hook and managed to bring it to his ear.

"Who's in trouble?" he asked immediately.

"Tristan? Maybe that's better," Lorelai confessed.

"What's wrong?" he yawned. It took something major to get the Gilmore women up at this hour. Especially after the night we'd all had.

"Well, um, did you happen to check in on your little angels last night?" she mused.

"Is Ella okay?" his eyes shot open.

"I have no idea, but Jake has a black eye."

"A black guy?" he scratched the back of his head.

"Geez, without coffee no one can understand me, and here they've all been on me to cut back," she grumbled. "Eye, E-Y-E."

"He has a black eye?" he asked in shock. "What happened?"

"I don't know, Sherlock, maybe someone hit him," she shot back.

"Where is he?"

"Here. Something must have gone down at the Inn."

"You think it was Ambrose?"

"Maybe," she offered. "Maybe Jess knows something," she suggested.

"Great," he groaned. He checked the clock—it was just barely six in the morning.

"Where's Rory?"

"Passed out. How much did she have last night?"

"Four, maybe five," she confessed.

"Sounds about right. Okay. Thanks. I'll come get Jake, and talk to Jess," he sighed, swinging his feet off the edge of the bed. He hung up the phone, placed a kiss on Rory's forehead, and moved to get ready.

XXXX

Davey had never been so tired. His mother had the whole house up at six in the morning, freaking out about tiny details and larger ones—namely the fact that Anna was MIA. He offered to go to his apartment to look for her—more so to take a nap rather than to actually procure his sister. If he found her, he'd just warn her not to go home until Lorelai had sedated Sookie. It was the brotherly thing to do, after all, and he didn't need any more embarrassing stories being told at the reception later than necessary. He was going to keep his sister, who had the most dirt on him, happy today of all days.

He gratefully slid into the half empty apartment, but stopped short of closing the door. He could hear giggling coming from the kitchen.

"Hello?"

He honestly hadn't expected his sister to be here, after the way she'd been so upset the night before. Anna wasn't one to give up a grudge easily. As her older brother, he should know. But he definitely heard her giggles, soft and happy, coming from the kitchen.

"In here," Will called. "Hey, it's the groom!" he said.

Dave watched as his sister blushed and leaned into Will. Will caught her gaze and smiled as well. There were now officially freaking him out.

"What's going on?"

"Breakfast," Anna motioned to their seemingly untouched cereal bowls. "You want some?"

"No, I'm fine. Well, other than the fact Mom's been up for hours and looking for you. Something about Aunt Bon Bon and the seating chart."

"Oh, I fixed that," she nodded. "Mom's freaking already?"

Dave gave her a knowing look. "Um, yeah. I'd stay here if I were you. Seriously, why are you two like this?" his eyes widened as Anna blushed and giggled at every single brush against Will. He hadn't seen them like this, well, ever. As nauseating as they were, this was above and beyond their normal protocol.

"Nothing's with us. We made up," Will said simply.

"Yeah, okay, that's all the details I need, I'd like to not still be nauseous when I go to kiss my bride," he said, seeming to consider something. "How pissed was she last night?"

Ann looked up. "Oh, she was warm. You did good this time, bro," she nodded, still unable to stop smiling.

Davey couldn't help but be a smidge jealous of the couple in front of him. Will had been smart enough to right things immediately. He'd not heard from Mal, and for all he knew, she wasn't planning on showing up later because of his blurting of demands last night. "You don't think she'd," he began, not wanting to vocalize his fears.

"She'd what?" Anna turned to him, attempting a somber face. He sounded completely freaked out.

"Not show?" he swallowed.

Will and Davey looked to Anna, waiting for an answer. "Surely she'd have said something like that last night, right?" she bit her lip.

"I gotta go," Dave jumped to life and ran out the front door, leaving Will and Anna to their continued bliss.


	14. Chapter 14

Title: Peer Pressure

Summary: Fourth installment in the WHW series. A Trory, of course. And, you know a billion other pairings.

Rating: T, for teen. Because there are so many of them running about.

Ella's long brown hair was splayed out over Billy's shoulder, as he held her against him tightly. The sun was just starting to come up, which could be noticed as the early cracks of daylight shone through under the door of the dance studio. Her eyes focused clearly, suddenly aware that daylight signaled their need to get back to the Inn, lest their absence be noted.

"You awake?" she whispered, still not wanting to move.

"Yeah, how'd you sleep?" Billy kissed her shoulder through her hair, making her giggle.

"Great," she purred, turning finally into his chest. "Last night, it was perfect," she kissed him softly on the lips.

"I'll say so," he returned the gesture, holding her as tightly as possible, unable to admit to the fact that their perfect night was over, and they would soon be ousted from their cocoon of teenage revelry and into the joint discomfort of a massive family gathering. A place where if they got too close, they would be reprimanded. Here, they couldn't be close enough, and nothing could separate them.

"You're sure you're okay?" he asked, studying her face, running one hand down her body.

She smiled knowingly. "I'm fine. Never been better," she assured. "But we should get going."

He groaned. "Just think, one more week, and never again will we have to worry about finding time," he kissed her cheek, "to do," he kissed one eyelid and then another, "this."

"One week," she sighed. "During which I'll be home packing," she whimpered at the thought of unadhering her body from his. This bed of yoga mats had been very satisfactory for their evening of pleasure, this small town dance studio the perfect setting away from their city-bound parents, as the rest of their families were too caught up in the mounting wedding excitement to take note of their whereabouts.

"But I'll be in New Haven to help you unpack," he reminded. "And after your parents leave, I don't have to," he promised.

"We'll see," she smiled, kissing him one last time before sneaking her hand out form under the blankets, feeling out for her discarded clothing from hours past. "But right now, if we don't get back in our beds before our parents wake up, you won't be able to walk, let alone drive to Yale," she laughing, finding his shirt and tossing it at him.

XXXX

Tristan knocked on the door, waiting for someone to answer in due time. He could only imagine the activities that had gone on the night prior in the room—probably similar to the activities that had gone on in his room the night before. He smiled, remembering Rory's ferocity and playfulness, despite her inability to walk straight on her own. He had to keep her playful spirit in mind, in futile attempts not to envision how insanely irritated she would be at finding out her son had gotten himself beaten up when trying to put moves that he'd taught him on an evidently unwilling girl. He himself could just lecture his son about making sure the girl was putting the right vibe out there before making the attempt to get her reciprocate, or at least learn to duck, and end up laughing it off. But Rory, however, that would be a different story.

And first, he needed to gauge the severity with Jess. Evidently a very tousled, pleased Jess, from the look on his face when he stumbled to the door with the comforter wrapped around his whole body.

His smile faded, however, when he saw Tristan standing at the threshold, the worry lines already forming on his forehead.

"Hey," Tristan offered.

"Hey," Jess nodded. "I take it you found out about Jake," he nodded again.

"Yeah. Jules okay?"

Jess smirked. "She's fine. Weirded out. Probably not looking forward to the gang getting together," he trailed off.

"You seen him?"

Jess shook his head. "Nah. Just Jules, she, uh, came flying in," he paused, looking back into his room and lowered his voice, "She kinda walked in on us, Gwen freaked."

Tristan's eyes widened. The chain reaction his son had set off . . . . "Seriously?"

"Well, she didn't see anything. Gwen hid in the closet. I coaxed her out," he laughed. "She's fine. Jules is fine. Where did Jake end up?"

"Lorelai's. She just found him and called."

"Rory doesn't know?"

Tristan shook his head.

"Shit. How're you gonna break it to her?"

Tristan shook his head at him. "I have," he sighed, "no idea. Think I can just hide Jake from her 'til it fades?"

"Get her drunk again. That seems to work wonders," Jess laughed harder, causing Tristan to scowl.

"Thanks, go back to your happy relationship. I have to go retrieve my battle-worn child from his crazy grandmother."

Jess chuckled some more as he disappeared back into his den of love and security, not envying Tristan one iota. He could handle Gwen's embarrassment and the soothing of Jules. But Rory's wrath was something that could be unending and definitely unavoidable.

XXXX

Tristan decided to walk over to his mother-in-law's house, the stroll in the early morning air sure to help him come up with a defense. His son might have something to say that would assuage his fears of the inevitable, but what it would come down to was his own words with Rory behind closed doors. Or what he hoped would be closed doors. He rounded the town square, passing the 'closed for a special occasion' Luke's Diner, and smiled at the unusual quiet of the normally bustling small town. The quiet was abnormal, but it made the creaky squeaking of the old metal even louder as the sliding door to Ms. Patty's School of Dance slid open to expel the two teens, arms entwined and worn clothes not on completely straight. He watched, opened mouthed from across the way as Billy Melville pulled his daughter in for a not-so-chaste kiss before they parted ways and scurried off to their respective havens.

XXXX

"Ouch, shit," Jake winced as his dad took his head into his hands, jerking his head toward the light so he could see the damage better.

"Sorry," Tristan winced, "And, uh, watch your mouth," he added for good measure to make up for Rory's absence.

"It's bad enough I had Grandma come at me with goopey stuff and a lighted mirror," he groaned, causing Tristan to look up to Lorelai, who was standing in the doorway to the bathroom, smiling.

"You tried to put make-up on my son?" he asked, aghast.

She shrugged. "I was just trying to help," she informed him. "So, what are you going to tell Rory?" she mused, knowingly.

"The truth," Tristan barked, then looked back at his son. "Well, someone's gonna tell her the truth," he looked at his son. "What exactly did happen?"

Jake looked from his father to his grandmother, then pleadingly back to his father. Lorelai got the hint and left the two alone, Tristan now standing with his arms folded over his chest as his son sat on the closed toilet lid.

"We were watching a movie, alone," Jake lowered his eyes to his lap. "And she had rested back into me, I had my arm around her. So I just leaned down to kiss her, and she hauled off and hit me."

"And then?" Tristan pressed.

"And then she ran out, and I came here. I didn't really want to be in reach when Jess or Am got hold of her crying and my name on her lips."

Tristan nodded. "Smart. But relax, Jess is too impressed that Jules hit a guy to care that you tried anything," he sighed. "But your mother, however," he shook his head.

"You gonna make me tell her?" Jake asked, clearly worried.

"No," he sighed, "I'll do my best to calm her down. Just, promise me one thing?"

Jake nodded.

"Next time you get in the car, make sure the girl's all buckled up before you start the ignition, okay?"

Jake furrowed his brows and winced at the movement of the bruised skin. "I get it, I think."

Tristan shook his head, wishing his daughter was as clueless as his son. Not only was he dreading telling Rory of how his son got the bruised eye, but now he had to tell her of the sight he witnessed on the way to extraditing Jake.

XXXX

Davey knocked on the door to his new apartment. A few minutes went by before Mal's sister, Julie, opened the door, rubbing the sleep out of her eyes.

"Dave?" she yawned. "What are you doing here?"

"I need to talk to Mal," he said, moving to brush past her and enter his apartment.

"Oh no," she shut the door so that he couldn't enter the living room.

"Julie, I'm serious, I have to talk to her," he warned.

"Are you calling this off?" she asked.

"No," he reinforced, looking at her in surprise.

"Then it's bad luck, can't let you see her," she shook her head, holding the door just barely shut. "Shouldn't you be in bed?"

"I'd love to be," he groaned. "Come on, Julie, she was pissed," he informed her.

"Oh, I know that," she assured him.

"Then let me talk to her!"

"No! The wedding is in like eight hours, you can talk then!"

"Julie, it's a wedding, not a debate," he shot back. "I need to talk to her before we get married. Before we promise to honor and cherish each other, I need to know she isn't going to poison me in my sleep once she gets me alone!"

"Well, then maybe you shouldn't have had insane notions to keep her barefoot and pregnant while you watch women with fake boobs shake it for your merriment!"

"It wasn't like that! Will wouldn't even let me look at str—er, dancers," he corrected himself.

"Look. Go back to bed. I'm sure, for whatever reason, my sister wants to marry you. God knows why, but she hasn't said anything about killing you in your sleep. Though I will pass on the idea," she smiled and shut the door in his face. He let out a loud groan and retreated, vowing to get to her before the ceremony.

XXXX

Will wrapped his arms around her towel-covered waist. She leaned back into him, closing her eyes as he took over the job of holding her upright. She loved the feel of her weight sinking into him, being relieved of the duty of having to hold herself up.

"So, I thought I'd run by my Dad's house real quick," he kissed her neck after moving her wet hair out of his path. He loved the smell of her wet, freshly washed hair. "There's something special I need to ask him for."

She looked at him in the steam-streaked mirror, the fog dissolving as fresh air from beyond the bathroom mixed in and equalized the temperature. "Something special?"

"Something, official," he offered. "Your finger is looking awfully bare," he observed.

"But, I can't wear that yet," she reminded him. "We can't, not today."

He groaned. If he'd learned anything in his life, it was that keeping secrets in their families did not work. Not for long, anyhow. "Can't we just tell them? I'll slip it into my best man toast. I'll just say I hope that you and I will be as happy as Dave and Mal are, and mention that the same crowd will be gathered again in the near future for our wedding."

She laughed out loud, unable to not picture the looks on the faces of their friends and family as he unleashed the news as easily as he was wishing Dave and Mal congratulations. She turned in his arms, took a deep breath, and looked into his eyes.

"My mother is crazy enough today without telling her that child number two is engaged on the day that child number one is getting married. We can't slip it past them. It's just one day," she reminded him.

He studied her carefully, his hands warming her shoulders as the fine beads of condensation worked to cool her skin. "Fine. We won't tell anyone, but I am going to get you that ring by the end of the day. I want this official," he kissed her squarely on the mouth and let go of her.

"It's already official," she reminded him as he made for the open door.

"If you don't need the ring," he baited, to which she shot him a dangerous look.

"Don't be a smartass," she warned, "Just don't announce it to the world today."

He saluted her, reached out to kiss her on the cheek, and left her alone in efforts to obtain her ring without letting on that it was in immediate demand.

XXXX

Rory reached out from behind Tristan, wrapping her arms around his waist and burying her face into his back. He'd just sat down on the edge of the bed, unsure as to whether or not he could rest any more this morning, or if he should just remain in an upright position to worry about how to impart all the late-breaking news to his wife.

"Where've you been?" she murmured, helping him turn back in toward her to greet her in a kiss.

"Around," he avoided.

"I woke up," she kissed him, nuzzling her body closer into his, "And you weren't here," she pouted, ducking her head under his arm, leading him to embrace her.

"Well, I'm here now," he relaxed, figuring not telling her right this moment couldn't hurt anything.

She pulled back slightly and smiled softly as she looked into his troubled eyes. "Hey, everything okay?" she whispered seriously.

He allowed a grin to break out over his face, not wanting to watch the clouds form over her cheerful, brilliantly blue eyes. "Everything's fine, how could it not be?"

She was pleased with his response, not wanting to hear bad news any more than he wanted to give it, and they relaxed into each other once more, enjoying the extra time awake together before they had to get ready for the wedding and the craziness that this day would bring.

Or continue to bring, in his case.


	15. Chapter 15

Title: Peer Pressure

Summary: Fourth installment in the WHW series. A Trory, of course. And, you know a billion other pairings.

Rating: T, for teen. Because there are so many of them running about.

Will stuck his head into his parents' bedroom. He saw the familiar shape of the blankets covering his father on the left side of the bed, nearest to him. However, normally there was a head sticking out from the upper edge of the quilt that his mother had crafted out of his sister's baby clothes. When asked why his clothes weren't treated with such reverence, she told him she was too busy to have completed the arduous task again. Plus, she already had one, she reminded him, and who needs more than one quilt? The majority of his baby clothes had gone to Rory for Jake anyhow, because Rory had been insistent that her son would grow up with some sort of complex if dressed in all of her daughter's old clothes, even if only before his memory was fully functioning. However, everyone had been fairly certain Tristan had planted such fears in her head.

Today he saw not his father's head sticking out of said quilt, but a pillow clamped down by a masculine arm. His father was in hiding.

"Dad?"

"Gghharraaahh," came the noise from the pillow.

"Dad? Mom said it was okay that I come up," he ventured again, this time stepping further into the bedroom.

"Damn house, people traipsing in and out at all hours, no one even knocks," Luke's fuddled rant was warming up as he tossed the pillow onto Lorelai's empty side of the bed. Will watched him, brows furrowed in concern.

"Is now a bad time?

"What do you want?" he barked.

"I just wanted to see if you got around to getting the ring that we talked about, Grandma's?" he attempted a casual tone.

Luke peered at the alarm clock. "It's eight in the morning. We talked about this at midnight, what's the rush?"

"No, no rush. I was just wondering, that's all. So, is it here?" he looked over to the dresser.

Luke groaned. "No, it's not here. It's in Dad's safe in the office," he mumbled, closing his eyes again.

"So, you could just run over and grab it?" he tried again.

Luke's eyes popped open. "You people aren't going to stop, are you?"

"I'm sorry?"

"Every member of this family has been through the front door between midnight and now, do you realize that? Is there a full moon I didn't know about?"

"Dad, focus, the ring," he tried to steer the conversation back around to something that wasn't frustrating and distracting his dad.

"I know, you want the ring, but is there some reason I should not go downstairs, read the newspaper while I make your mother breakfast, and take a long, hot shower on this, the first complete day off I've had in six months?"

Will let out a sigh. "I just, wanted to see it, to have it, in case."

Luke smiled. "So, you two made up?"

"We did," Will smiled back.

"Good!" he clasped his hands together. "Then stay for breakfast."

"I've already had breakfast," he sighed. "I just, I came to check on the whereabouts of the ring."

"I get it, you want the ring!" Luke slung his legs over the side of the bed. "I promise, I'll get it to you tomorrow, as soon as I open the safe to get change."

"But, I," Will started, but stopped when Luke turned to look at him questioningly. He hadn't whined like this since he was three years old, he was sure—if he kept pressing this, Luke would just grow more and more suspicious.

"But, you what?" Luke's voice softened.

"Nothing. I should go, make sure my tux is all ready to go," he nodded and forced a smile. "Just, let me know when you have the ring ready."

"I will," Luke said slowly, trying to figure exactly what was up with his son as he left him again alone in his bedroom.

XXXX

Ella eased the door open, not wanting to wake up her roommate. She stood still as she witnessed the fact that both beds were being occupied. Dark hair splayed out on the pillows of each bed. Ambrose Mariano was asleep in her bed. She creeped over to Jules' bedside and leaned down so that she was level with her face.

"Jules," she whispered as loudly as she dared to wake only the one sibling. "Juuuless," she tried again, in a sing-songier voice.

"Let her sleep," Ambrose's gravelly morning voice instructed, causing her to turn on her heels in her squatted position. He smirked at her. "Nice outfit. Is that slept-in look the biggest rage in Paris? Or, did you maybe not sleep in them so much as put them on hastily when you woke up?" he asked knowingly.

"Shut up!" she hissed, throwing him a look of disgust. "What are you doing in my bed anyhow?"

"What's it matter, you didn't use it. You do realize your shirt is on inside out, right?" he continued to tease.

"What's going on?" Jules yawned, waking up at the conversation around her. "Ella, are you just getting in?"

"I am," she tossed another glare at Ambrose, who was quite pleased with himself. "What is he doing in here?"

"Oh, that," she looked down guiltily. "There was sort of an incident," she began hesitantly.

"Incident?" she asked, sitting down on Jules' bed. "What happened?"

"Your idiot brother put the moves on Jules, and she clocked him," Ambrose piped up.

"Nobody asked you," Ella informed him and turned to Jules. "Really?"

Jules nodded. "I didn't mean to hit him, he just, surprised me."

"My brother is such an idiot. He really tried to kiss you?" she asked again in disbelief. "Oh my God. Who else knows about this?"

"Dad," she bit her lip.

"Ooh, that means my parents will know today," she shook her head, cringing.

"Yeah, but the news of Jake's stupidity will pale in comparison with the knowledge that I was able to sleep in your unoccupied bed," Ambrose reminded her.

"You wouldn't," Ella warned.

"That depends."

"What is it you want?" she narrowed her eyes, ready to wager.

"Phone numbers. Hot college girls. I'm growing tired of prep school girls."

"Jake's not the only idiot. Don't you know that all the girls that go to Yale used to be prep school girls?" she shot back.

"Not all of them. There is the scholarship pool," he smirked.

"You're disturbing. Besides, no college girl in her right mind would want to date a sixteen-year-old high schooler."

"I'm wise beyond my years," he shrugged.

"Ew," Jules groaned. "Sister, sitting right here," she reminded.

"I still can't believe Jake kissed you," Ella looked back at Jules.

"Tried to kiss me," she corrected.

"So, what, he likes you? Did you know about this?" Ella questioned Ambrose.

"Yeah, he used to go into great detail about how he wanted to bang my sister," Ambrose rolled his eyes. "Of course not."

"Don't boys talk about who they like?" Ella asked.

"You mean emotions and crap?"

"It's not crap," Jules threw a pillow at her brother's head.

"It is crap. You guys get all worked up over dumb stuff," he began, "I mean, one guy tries to kiss you, and you haul off and hit him."

"You don't know what you're talking about!" Jules yelled.

"He tried something more than kissing?" Ella asked, her tone much more serious.

"Just 'cause your mind is in the gutter, doesn't mean everyone else's is," Am informed her.

"Bite me," she tossed back. "Jules?"

"No, not like that. It's just, I mean, Jake's a great guy, athletic, and a great friend, it's just, I sort of," she hemmed and hawed for a moment, before making eye contact with Ella. "I have a boyfriend," she admitted softly.

"You have a what?" Ambrose sat up on his knees, staring dumbfounded at his sister. "When did this happen?"

Jules shrugged. "About a month ago."

"Why didn't you tell anyone?"

Jules glared at Ambrose. "And what would Dad have done if he knew I was dating someone?"

"Made you bring him home to meet him," he said matter-of-factly. "So?"

"So? Hello, I like this person. I don't want him to be scared off by my father talking about having no problems going back to prison, especially since they've cleaned it up real nice since the last time he was there," she rolled her eyes.

Ella giggled. "He so wouldn't say that!"

"Wanna bet?" Jules challenged.

"And I thought my dad was bad," she continued to erupt into giggles. "I think it's great! But you could have just told Jake that, not slugged him."

"I was all confused. One minute we were watching a movie, the next minute there were lips coming at me."

"Okay, stop there. I might be sick if you discuss anymore of this," Am said, standing up. "I'll let you have your bed so you can catch some beauty sleep, Cinderella," he told Ella. "By the way, were you able to find your underwear in the community pile, or did you just scrap it and go commando?"

"Am! Out!" the girls yelled in unison, Ella pushing him toward the door.

"Geez, I'm going!" he laughed as he got thrust into the hall, the door slamming behind him. "You try to help a person out," he muttered to himself, going back to his own room.

XXXX

Rory reached out to turn off the alarm that would go blaring off in two minutes. She'd been awake for the last hour, since Tristan had come back from his mysterious errand. His arms closed in tighter as she resettled back down against the pillows.

"I should make sure the kids are up," she yawned, not really wanting to get up quite yet, despite the mounting to-do list that faced her on this day.

"Actually, I kind of wanted to talk to you about that," he cleared his throat purposefully.

"About the kids sleeping?" she asked.

"Sort of. I think Jake's come down with something, he should probably stay in bed and rest," he kissed her temple.

"Is he running a fever?"

"He was warm, but I'm not sure I'd classify it as a fever," he bit the inside of his cheek.

"I'm gonna go check on him," she made an attempt to sit up, but he held his hands over her chest, pinning her against him.

"He'll be fine, he just needs rest," he assured her.

"I'm his mother, and if he's sick, I need to go check on him," she made lame attempts to pry his hands off of her, mother-mode kicking in.

"Rory, please, just let me handle this," he implored.

She stopped struggling with him and turned slowly, just enough to look him in the eyes. "Tristan, what's going on?"

He sucked his bottom lip into his mouth and looked down. A sure sign of guilt. He was definitely hiding something from her. "I just don't think we should make him go to the wedding today."

"Is there a specific reason you'd like to share with me?" her patience was waning.

"He might have a black eye," he grimaced.

"He what? When? How?" her eyes widened in shock. Her son had never been in a fight a day in his life. At least, not one that left him with visible remains of a scuffle. "Tristan, do you know what happened?"

"Now, don't go crazy," he prepared her, "But last night, he was hanging out with Jules, and he sort of got his signals crossed," he took a deep breath, bracing himself for her certain backlash, "and he went to kiss her, and she slugged him."

Rory broke out into body-quaking laughter. Tears sprouted from the corners of her eyes, and he just stared at the vision in front of him. He hadn't quite expected this reaction out of her. Maybe she hadn't heard him right.

"Rory?"

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm just, picturing," more giggles.

"Your son has a black eye, might I remind you," he tried to instill sobriety.

"I know, it's just, so ridiculous," she wiped tears from her eyes with the back of her hand. "I mean, why would Jake try and kiss Jules? After that whole embarrassment with Jess and them in her room—he had to know better than that," she quieted as she got her complete thought out and Tristan remained silent as well. Again, he evaded her gaze.

"Tristan?"

"I might have given him some pointers," he confessed.

"Pointers?"

"You know, how to get in the position to be close to a girl that you like, when you want to make something happen," he explained slowly, watching the fumes nearly rolling off his wife.

"You what?" she yelled. "You put the hair-brained scheme to get slugged into our son's head?"

"How was I supposed to know he'd get hit?"

"How dumb are you? Do you know how many times I wanted to hit you when we were sixteen?" she yelled.

"Excuse me, but that was my top material when I was sixteen. It worked ninety-nine percent of the time," he shot back, oddly protective of his 'advice' considering the nature of their debating.

"I'm sorry, I need the stats on how many girls of substance, like Jules, those 'moves' worked on," she shot back.

"Look, I told him to learn to gauge it better from now on. The point is, he's got a black eye, and he should probably stay in today instead of posing for family pictures."

"God, you are impossible! How could you let this happen?" she continued.

"Hey, I 'let' this happen just as much as I let Ella spend the night at Ms. Patty's with Billy last night!" he yelled.

"She… what?" her face paled.

Realizing the words that had come out of his mouth, he rubbed his temples. "I really didn't want to tell you that way," he cringed.

"You knew about this?"

"I saw them coming out of the dance studio, this morning on my way to get Jake from Lorelai's. He crashed there, out of embarrassment and fear for his life," he sighed.

Rory sat, completely dumbstruck, looking at Tristan helplessly as he described the state of their family. She had no idea where to start to get all the answers they needed.

XXXX

Dave sat on the steps of the church, drinking coffee out of a paper cup and awaiting the arrival of the girls. They should be convening at the church to get ready for the wedding in just a matter of moments, so they could get their make-up done in time to take the slew of pictures that the photographer wanted to get out of the way. It was the girls the photographers wanted to capture, hardly ever the men. His head snapped as his sisters came walking up, their arms full of garment bags.

"Where's Mal?"

"In the church," Lia answered. "You look like crap," she informed him.

"Thanks for that," he sneered. "Ann, you gotta help me," he pleaded.

"Take these," Anna handed her bags to Lia. "I'll be in in a minute," she promised. Their younger sister took off into the church under the increased weight of more clothing, and Anna turned back to Dave.

"What's up?"

"I tried to see Mal at the apartment, but Julie wouldn't let me in," he explained. "You have to get me in to see her," he requested.

"No, no way," she shook her head. "Hasn't anyone ever told you it's bad luck to see the bride before the wedding?"

"You've got to be kidding me! It's not like we've never met!"

"Dave, come on. She's not still pissed, I mean, she's here, getting ready for the wedding. She's showing. She wants to marry you, can't you just know that?"

"No, it's not enough. I need to talk to her, I just have to. Why can't you just help me out, you're my sister, you're supposed to be on my side!"

"I am on your side! God, boys are so thick sometimes," she groaned.

"Well, we can't all be as smooth as Will," he rolled his eyes. "What did he say to get your to warm up to him again?"

"The truth, you should try it sometime, but you know, without your foot shoved all the way down your throat."

"I thought you said you were on my side," he grumbled.

"Just because you don't take my advice doesn't mean I'm not offering it in good will," she smiled. "Seriously, Dave. Just take a pill."

His jaw tightened. "I have to tell her something. It can't wait."

"Well," she patted him on the back, "then my advice to you is be more creative than asking people that are only going to tell you no."

He looked up at her, and she winked before continuing her journey into the church, the likes of which he wasn't 'welcomed' into for another four hours.


	16. Chapter 16

Title: Peer Pressure

Summary: Fourth installment in the WHW series. A Trory, of course. And, you know a billion other pairings.

Rating: T, for teen. Because there are so many of them running about.

Luke poked his head into the living room, where his wife was eyeing the hem of the dress he assumed she was planning on wearing to the wedding in a few hours time. He knew little about waistlines, skirt lengths, or necklines; save for the fact he knew whatever she had made would look amazing on her. Her original creations always did.

"Hey, uh, so the bacon should come up in about five minutes, and the French toast just needs one more flip," he informed her as he made to grab his keys.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, I'm sorry, you've gotten home life and work life all confused again. I'm Lorelai, not Caesar," she stood up, speaking with pins still in her teeth.

"Trust me, if there were two people I could never confuse," he swore and moved closer to kiss her head reassuringly. "I just have to run an errand, I'll be back in time to get changed and head over with you."

"Luke!" she took the pins out and exclaimed in surprise as she realized he wasn't kidding.

"What? You can take the bacon off the burner, and flipping really isn't as difficult a task as you think it is—it's way easier than the whole stirring deliberation."

"But, we were going to hang out, have some alone time—what could you possibly have to do today, right now?"

He remained silent, trying to think of a way to get her to believe any lie that might pop into his head. He wondered if he could just turn and out run her. He raised an eyebrow.

"Luke?"

"I just have to get something that Will needed."

"Like what?"

"Best man stuff," he waved a hand and smiled.

"Oh, right, right, best man stuff," she smiled and winked, turning back to her dress. "Oh, and Luke?"

"Yeah?" he winced at her sugary-sweet tone, sure that she was about to nail him because of her easy acceptance.

"Don't think this whole not telling me thing will last longer than, oh, say, a half hour. I have spies all over this community."

"I'll be right back," he sighed and looked at her pleadingly.

"Okay. And then we can discuss the openness and honesty that should occur within a marriage," she grinned evilly.

"Can't wait," he grumbled and closed the door behind him.

XXXX

"What are these things?" Billy asked, holding up the thin, elastic material from the depths of the box.

"They're garters," Will snapped, his patience running low.

"I thought only girls wore garters," Billy smirked at the thought—his mind had been occupied all morning by images and memories of the night prior.

"They're to hold up your socks, dork," Dave smacked his head. "You don't need them; it's just a part of the traditional tux package."

"Geez, what is with you two?" Billy asked, holding the back of his head. "Girl trouble?"

"Shut up," Dave muttered. "You didn't have Mom shaking you out of a sound sleep at an ungodly hour today. Why was that, by the way, where were you?" he questioned.

Billy looked to Will and shrugged. "I had a better offer."

"You're gonna shut up right now," Will instructed, straightening his cummerbund in the mirror.

"Yes, yes I am. How do you tie these things?" Billy asked, now fumbling with his bowtie.

"Come here," Will instructed, being old hat at tying bowties. Rory had taught him how long ago, and he'd been amazed at the depth of her knowledge. She'd always had knowledge he didn't think she should have, from building houses to tying men's bowties.

"So, I get why he's pissed," Billy said, "but what's with you? Didn't you and Anna make up?"

"Quit talking, I can't tie this if you keep talking," he instructed.

Billy stood very motionless, fearing Will's total abandonment—he knew no one else with the ability to tie a regular tie, much less a bowtie.

"Speaking of Anna, I still don't know what she meant. She told me to be creative—how many ways can you think of to get to Mal? They have her barricaded into that church, surrounded by women who could put the Secret Service to shame," Dave grumped.

"Ever hear of a phone, Dave?" Will snapped, finishing off Billy's tie.

"I can't just call her; there's no way the other girls will be letting her answer her own phone. They're probably all turned off anyhow, so as not to interrupt the beauty regimen they were undergoing today."

"Like all that make-up and goop is going to help," Billy snorted, thinking mainly of his sisters.

"Hey!" the older boys yelled.

"Soo-rry! Geez, I just meant that most girls don't need all that crap. Ella sure doesn't," he explained.

"Can we just finish getting ready in silence?" Will asked. Dave's anxiety and Billy's strange excitement were getting on his already frazzled nerves. He'd promised to get Anna her ring today, but the universe just wasn't on his side. He hadn't planned on proposing in the manner he did; he would feel much better once he'd at least done the traditional down on one knee, sliding the ring onto his newly betrothed's finger. Anna deserved all the pomp and circumstance. All this hiding wasn't what she deserved. She deserved at the very least a ring that proclaimed his love and adoration.

A knock came to the door of Will's apartment as they moved about, securing ties and slipping on jackets in relative peace. Dave's head snapped up.

"You think it's Mal?" he asked, hopefully.

"No," the other two rolled their eyes, and Billy pushed him back toward the couch.

"Just sit, will you? You're starting to make me jumpy," he began, "and I have nothing to worry about."

Will answered the door to find his father standing on his doorstep in jeans and a T-shirt, smiling. "You look great!" he informed him.

"Thanks. What are you doing here? Shouldn't you be having brunch with Mom?"

"Well, I'm gonna go do that now, but first, I had something for you," he reached into his pocket and pulled out a small jewelry bag. He put the pouch in Will's hand.

"But, I thought you weren't," Will began, looking at the velvet pouch in awe.

"Well, I got the feeling that for whatever reason," Luke said knowingly, "you needed this now."

"Thanks, Dad," he whispered.

"No problem. You guys gotta get to the church soon?"

"Yeah, actually, I think we should go a little early," he gripped the pouch in his hand. "We'll see you there?"

"Like your mother would let me miss this," he joked, and Will hugged him suddenly. When they pulled back, Luke patted his shoulder and turned to head home. Will faced back into the apartment.

"What the hell was that about?" Dave asked.

"Grab your cell, we gotta get to the church," Will informed him.

XXXX

A collective sigh of appreciation was let out over the group of gathered women. Anna and Lia sat holding hands as Mal came into the main room from the smaller dressing area where she'd gotten her dress on.

"Well?" she held up her hands and twirled around.

"You're gorgeous," Julie said.

"A vision," Lia agreed. Just the bridesmaids had been allowed in the room before the hour prior to the ceremony. Mothers were barred, figuring all the tears would hinder the make-up application process.

"You guys look perfect, too," Mal informed him. "Wow. I'm getting nervous," she held her hand to her heart as she looked into the mirror. "I think I'm actually starting to shake."

"It's about time," her sister teased. "You've been a rock this whole time. It's unnerving."

"It's my dumb brother's fault. He really did want to apologize, Mal," Anna assured her.

"He did try a few times today," Julie assured her.

"Well, I know Dave, he gets these stupid ideas into his head, then he doesn't think. I know he loves me," she was taking deep breaths, to calm her nerves. "I just wish he would have had better timing in opening his big mouth about his expectations for children."

"Don't forget the whole stripper thing," Lia rolled her eyes.

Anna pinched her sister's arm. "They didn't stay long, or really enjoy themselves. Will said they had a miserable time, and only talked about us."

"And you believe that?" Julie laughed. "You two must be in love, to believe your men when they say they didn't look at strippers," she informed her.

"Well, I trust Will. He wouldn't lie to me," Anna assured the other girl.

"So, what, you're next?" Julie asked knowingly.

"You have to be," Mal smiled at her. "It's so clear that boy is head over heels in love with you."

"Well, we'll see," Anna smiled, looking down at her lap, not wanting to make eye contact as she held her good news in. A knock came to the door, and she jumped up to get it.

"Tell me that isn't Dave, he's not this dumb," Lia groaned.

"I'll man the door, consider me your personal bouncer," Anna giggled, as Julie started doing Mal's hair.

Will stood on the other side of the door all decked out in his tuxedo, and he smiled. "Everyone decent in there?"

Anna opened the door a little wider, so he could see her, and struck a pose. "What do you think?"

"Gorgeous," he leaned in to kiss her.

She giggled. "What are you doing here?"

"I have something to give you," he began, cut off before he could continue by his cell phone.

She watched in confusion as he pulled it out and answered.

"Hello? Hang on, I can hardly hear you," he held his phone out and hit a button, supposedly to increase the volume.

"Mal?" came Dave's voice, clear as a bell, over Will's 'accidental' pressing of the speaker phone button. "They won't let me in to see you, so before Julie tackles Will to the ground, I have to get this out. I'm so sorry for what happened last night. I couldn't sleep last night, thinking about how you must have felt. About the kid thing, I just, I loved growing up in a big family, and I wanted to share that with you. I love you so much, and I'll have as many or as few kids as you want. And the stripper thing, you have to know, that was just bachelor party thing. None of those girls; Mal—I could never look at anyone like I look at you. You have to know that. I love you so much; I just had to tell you that before I saw you up there. You don't have to answer me; they probably won't let you… I don't care if this is bad luck, too, I just had to tell you. You've made me the happiest, luckiest man in the world already. I love you. I'll see you soon."

Will shut his phone as Mal teared up. She looked at him, and he smiled. "Thank you," she whispered. He nodded in compliance.

Julie looked at her sister. "Oh man, mascara control! Who didn't buy the waterproof?"

Anna nudged Will. "Have I told you how unbelievably sneaky and devious you are lately?"

"Is that code for you want my body?"

"Something like that," she giggled. "That was a good thing you did."

"All my idea. Dave was sadly unable to scheme today."

"He's nervous. I hear weddings do that to you."

"Speaking of which, come with me," he pulled her out the door, the heavy door shutting behind them. He paused once they were out in the middle of the deserted hallway between the classrooms and the main sanctuary.

"Will, where are we going? What's up?" she asked as they came to a stop.

He kept hold of her hand and got down on one knee. "I have something for you."

She watched as he pulled the small bag out of his inner jacket pocket, and withdrew his grandmother's ring. Her eyes widened at the ring; she'd never seen anything so lovely.

"That's for me?"

"Evidently my grandfather had exceptional taste in jewelry," he smirked. "Will you officially marry me?"

"Yes," she whispered. "Officially."

He slid the ring on her finger and stood up to kiss her in silent revelry. "I don't want to take it off," she whispered into his neck when he kept her close in a hug after their lips parted.

"So, keep it on. We won't announce it; we'll just see how long it takes people to catch on," he laughed.

"Are you serious?"

"Doesn't that ring say serious?"

She looked at it, admiring it on her finger for what would be the first of many, many times over the course of her life. "It does seem to be quite solemn."

"Keep it on," he kissed her temple. "I'll see you out there. I'll be the one in the tux."

She smiled. "I love you."

"I love you, too," he assured her, pulling her back in for one last kiss before the festivities would set into full swing.

XXXX

"I was expecting something different," Gwen frowned at the menu.

"What, like pancakes?" Jess asked ironically.

"Well, I mean, not just pancakes. Maybe omelets, various fried meats, you know, breakfast fare."

"Why did we have to come here?" Ambrose stared at the menu, standing on the other side of Gwen. "Is this some sort of punishment for something I'm not aware that I did?"

"It's here or Jo-Jo's," Jess sighed. "Luke's is closed, and I'm not driving to Woodbury," he continued to stare at the menu as well. Al's was famous for its salute to countries that have no recognizable signature dish, but this one was out there.

"Where is Eritrea?"

"Aren't you the one in the fancy private school?" Jess shot back.

"It's on the Red Sea," Gwen offered. "By Ethiopia."

"Oh, that's promising," Jess sighed. "Jo-Jo's isn't looking so bad," he groaned as someone came to take their order.

They made their hesitant selections and sat down with their food. "How did you know where this place was?" Jess sniffed what he hoped was meat on the end of his fork.

"Ever heard of a map?" Gwen smirked.

"Ooh, Dad, watch out, this one snaps back," Ambrose teased him.

"I'm aware of that, thank you, Son," Jess said sarcastically. "Hey, how's Jules doing? Are you sure she didn't want to come along?"

"And eat this? Please," he coughed as he took a bite. "God, what is this?"

"You ordered it," Jess laughed. "How's yours?"

"Well, it's hard to go wrong ordering the vegetarian dishes," she frowned. "But I think somehow I did. There will be food at the wedding, right?"

"Tons," he pushed his plate back. "I can't do this anymore. Let's go get pie at Weston's," he sighed.

"We'll probably run into Jules," Ambrose said. "She was gonna grab something and take it back for Ella."

"Why wasn't Ella going with her?"

Ambrose smirked. "You know how I took Jules back to her room last night?"

Jess nodded. "Yeah."

"Well, I stayed the night, you know, to make sure she was okay."

"Where did you sleep?"

"There was an unoccupied bed."

"Oh, no," Jess closed his eyes.

"I thought Ella was sharing a room with Jules," Gwen piped up, having put her napkin over her plate to block the site of the food.

"She did come back in, around seven this morning, all tousled and glowing," he smirked.

"Oh," she bit her lip. "This bunch sure doesn't believe in spreading the drama out, do they?"

Jess shook his head. "Just you three know about this?"

"I'm guessing there is a fourth party who knows where Ella stayed the night," Ambrose laughed.

Jess glared. "Answer me," he demanded.

"Geez, calm down. She's not your kid," he reminded.

"No, she's not my kid, but from what I gather, Rory and Tristan aren't aware of the fact that Ella was," he paused, thinking of a term that wouldn't gross himself out. He thought of Ella still as the little girl that wore pigtails and begged to be carried around on people's shoulders.

"Spreading it around?"

"Geez!" Jess kicked his shin under the table. "It's just they have enough going on with Jake having the black eye," he said.

"Maybe we bring them back some pie, too," Gwen offered.

Jess sighed. "Can't hurt. Let's get out of here. And no more sex talk," Jess warned Ambrose.

"Back at 'ya," he nodded, following the pair out of the establishment.

XXXX

Rory paced along the foot of the bed, biting the edge of one nail. Tristan watched her silently, waiting for her to speak again.

"Okay," she said finally, exhaling purposefully. "We just need a game plan."

"A game plan, got it," he nodded.

"We have to make sure that she did what we think she did, not just accuse her," she held up her hand, palm upturned. "And then, if she did … that," she frowned, "make sure she was safe and everything."

"And then?"

"And then, nothing. What can we do, if it happened?" she stopped pacing and turned to face him.

"Lock her in her room. Not let her move to school. There are online classes, right?" he joked.

"She's eighteen, Tristan, it's not like we can stop her from growing up," she sat down on the edge of the bed.

"Then why are you so freaked out?" he nudged.

She looked up at him with glassy eyes. "She didn't even tell me."

"Rory," he said softly, moving closer to her. "Is that what's got you upset?"

"I really thought she would, I mean, she promised. I told my mom, after," she smiled nostalgically.

"I remember," he groaned. "I thought I was gonna die the next time Lorelai saw me," he reminded.

Rory giggled. "She wasn't that bad," she remembered. "It could have been much, much worse."

"Not many kids share that kind of information," he informed her. "I sure as hell didn't."

"She promised," she said softly. "And it's bad enough she's moving out, I really feel like we're losing her. She'll be gone, and we won't even know her anymore. She'll come home with a new haircut, new clothes, and a husband one day."

"Let's not get crazy. Your game plan was a good idea. We'll just talk to her. Now, what about Jake?"

Rory sighed. "He can't go to the wedding like that," she rolled her eyes. "Even though it would be the perfect punishment. But he's a teenager, and he didn't actually do anything wrong," she admitted.

"We'll just tell everyone he's sick, and he can straighten things out on his own with Jules," Tristan agreed as he held his wife tighter against his chest. "We got through the terrible twos, we can get through today."

"I just can't take any more drama today. Weddings aren't supposed to be this crazy for the people who aren't getting married."

He kissed the top of her head. "Yeah, well, if you didn't want crazy, you shouldn't have had kids," he laughed.

"Just promise me one thing?" she asked, finally smiling after the shock of all the recent news had been revealed to her.

"Sure," he agreed. "Anything."

"Stay away from Billy."

"But," he began, ready to protest.

"IF," she began even louder, cutting him off, "if it happened, this is the boy our daughter loves. You have to be nice, or who knows what you'll drive them to do. We want them to be smart and safe," she reminded.

"Fine. But you're gonna have to keep me really, really occupied," he smirked, pulling her in for a kiss. She relaxed into him, kissing him back as she realized that there was no one else she would want by her side in times like these.

A knock came to the door, and they called for the person on the other side to enter. Gwen popped her head in and held up a pastry box.

"We have pie," she offered, and the two couples made their way down to the kitchen to get dishes and forks to console themselves after the events of the morning.

AN: Check out my blog for the link to Anna's ring. . .


	17. Chapter 17

Title: Peer Pressure

Summary: Fourth installment in the WHW series. A Trory, of course. And, you know a billion other pairings.

Rating: T, for teen. Because there are so many of them running about.

"I can't believe you only brought one pie!" Rory scraped her fork around the tin pan, trying to scrape more cherry pie filling ooze out of the bottom.

"Excuse me, not all of us compete professionally like you do," Jess scoffed. "It was supposed to be a gesture, to which most people are grateful."

"I'm emotionally upset, I can't be held accountable for my actions," she held in a smile as she crossed her arms, still clutching her fork.

"How come that excuse doesn't extend to me?" Tristan clinked his fork challengingly against his wife's.

"Because I know how far to push it," she volleyed easily.

Both men let out sounds of amused protest. Gwen smiled knowingly at Rory and cleared her throat.

"At any rate, just let us know if we can do anything to help," she eyed Tristan, "anything legal," she amended.

Jess put his arm around her shoulders as Tristan's eyebrows rose in accusation.

"What? Locking her up in her room is legal."

Rory rolled her eyes. "We just want to talk with her and make sure she understands the repercussions of her actions."

"You want her to know you caught her," Jess shook his head in disapproval.

"I want her to feel comfortable enough to be open about this," Rory informed him.

"Like hell," Jess scoffed, clearly not believing a word she said.

"Does that mean you won't help us keep her attention at the wedding?" Rory's eyes widened.

"Of course I'll help—I'm just trying to keep you honest," Jess smirked.

"All I really need you to do is cut in on Billy and Ella when they dance, so I can cut in on you with her; then you can make sure he," she poked her husband, whose arm was lovingly draped over her shoulder, in the chest, "doesn't do anything stupid."

XXXX

Ella and Jules came out of their room, all dressed up and ready to make their way over to the church for the ceremony. They were talking and giggling as they moved toward the staircase, but halted when they saw Ella's parents standing like guards at the bottom, looking up at them.

"Uh, what's with your folks?"

"Ohmigod, I'm gonna kill Ambrose," Ella muttered under her breath before putting on her best smile for her parents.

"You don't think he," Jules got out before they were too far in earshot of Rory and Tristan.

"Hey, guys," Rory smiled at the girls. "We thought we'd walk with you to the ceremony."

"Sounds good," Ella smiled back, shooting Jules a look of suppressed panic as her parents turned to lead the way.

"Oh, yeah. He's dead," Jules giggled softly, causing Tristan to turn around in curiosity.

"What was that?"

"Oh, nothing," Jules shook her head, hooking her arm through Ella's as they continued to follow Rory and Tristan to the small church in the center of town.

XXXX

Will knocked on the door, and Anna moved to open it. She smiled at him as he nodded.

"You guys all ready in here?"

The organ struck up the opening of the processional music, and Mal took in a deep breath, nodding to Anna and the others.

"I think it's about that time," Anna nodded, "I'll see you up there," she promised as he kissed her cheek. She watched him go off to take his place next to Dave, and she turned in to face Mal.

"It's not too late to get out of here," she joked. "I got my car keys right here," she shook her bridesmaid's bouquet.

"Very funny," she smiled back, looking a bit wary.

"You okay?"

"I'm good," she nodded. "It was a sweet thing he did, earlier."

Anna smiled. "He loves you. We all do," she added as she opened the door for the bride to move through as the flurry of women moving around her to straighten her dress behind her and hand her flowers began the carefully orchestrated dance to make it all look seamless.

The church was packed. Anna stood behind Lia, silently counting the moments down before she was supposed to make her way down the aisle. She looked around, noticing her mother and father in the front pew, tissues already being pulled from the box. Sookie looked on the verge of tears, but Jackson was already cracking and evidently wearing a kilt. She scrunched her nose at the sight, but moved on to see Luke and Lorelai sitting directly behind them. She smiled, thinking of what their reaction to their news would be as she fingered the ring that was still foreign to her finger. She saw a very put-out looking Ella sandwiched between her parents sitting just another row back, with the Mariano clan slid into the same pew. Suddenly, her mind hit thirty, and her sister was down the aisle. She took a step out onto the white runner and looked forward, finally catching sight of Will. She couldn't take her eyes off of him, as she could see the glee in his eyes. They were bursting with their secret, which they were openly showing the world. Anyone who looked at them could see it in their eyes, had they been focused on them instead of the couple of the hour. She said a silent prayer for small favors and hoped her knees wouldn't lock during the ceremony.

The organist changed her tune, striking up the wedding march. The whole of the congregation stood and turned to watch as the bride was escorted down the aisle by her father.

All but one, that is. Lorelai had noticed the look on her son's face—the polar opposite of the look that was pasted on her granddaughter's face. While Ella looked trapped, Will looked completely spellbound. While she didn't know for sure what was going on with either of them yet, it was growing increasingly more lucid what was going on with her son. Her husband's sudden mid-morning errand. Will's fight and sudden better-than-good terms with Anna. The way they couldn't seem to bring themselves to realize there were other people in the church. The way the light hit her left hand and nearly blinded her . . . .

"Oh my God!" she whispered harshly into her husband's ear.

"Lorelai, shh," he chastised, willing her to focus on the processional.

"Luke, our son," she began, but he pressed his lips into hers, his eyes locked in to keep her attention.

He drew back slightly. "Just, calm down. We'll talk about it after the wedding, remember the wedding? Your godson?"

"You knew about this?" she whispered back. "Did you know about that ring?" she gaped at it; she could see its incredible beauty from even this bit of distance.

"It was my mother's," he whispered into her ear, figuring answering her questions was his only option until the bride made it to the front of the alter to be handed off.

"You mean that was supposed to be my ring?" she gasped.

"Will you shut up, people are staring," he warned.

"Answer me," she whispered back.

"Mom, shhh," Rory leaned up, glaring at her mother. She'd always been a sucker for weddings, her romantic side getting the chance to come out and believe in true love and forever. She sat back and felt Tristan's hand come to rest on her shoulder as he draped it behind their daughter's shoulders.

"Fine, but this conversation isn't over," Lorelai conceded to Luke.

"I wouldn't dream of it," he gruffed as they sat back and watched Dave and Mallory take each other for better and worse; in sickness and health. All four parents cried—Sookie not being able to make it past her son's vows; Mallory's parents barely able to choke out that they were the ones that gave this woman to be married. Will and Anna didn't seem to realize they were in front of others or bearing witness to this marriage. Their eyes remained trained on each other, too caught up in their own excitement to be bothered with other details.

XXXX

"Why didn't I get that ring?" Lorelai asked for the fifth time as she sat down at their appointed table.

"I told you; I didn't find it until after Will was born."

"Why didn't you tell me you found it?"

"Why would I have told you I found it?"

"So you could have given it to me!"

"You had an engagement ring!"

"Yeah, but that one has sapphires. I love sapphires."

"Yours has sapphires."

"Not like that one," she whined.

"They're nearly identical," he rolled his eyes.

"They so are not!" she informed him. "You just say that because you're a man, and men have no idea about fashion or jewelry. I will prove it to you," she stood up, disappearing into the crowd that was milling about, searching for their seats.

"Oh, this won't go over well," he put his head down on his hands.

"Luke!" Rory called out, dragging her daughter alongside her as Tristan brought up the rear.

"Hey, where's Jake?" he asked, but grimaced when Tristan drew one finger across his throat. "Er, you just missed your mom. Can I get you guys something to drink?"

"I'll help you," Tristan offered, leaving Rory and Ella alone at the table. Rory looked to her daughter, who was clearly scanning the room for her boyfriend. He was with the wedding party, and would be in the room soon, if not already, she knew. She decided to allow Ella the chance to spill the news to her first instead of drilling her with a tyrannical tone.

"So, Els, you know what this means," she smiled.

"Huh?" her big blue eyes opened widely at her mother.

"With the wedding down, the next big thing is your moving to Yale. You ready?"

"Oh, yeah, sure, Mom," she smiled.

"We're gonna miss you," she led.

"Like you won't be coming to visit all the time," she rolled her eyes.

"What gave us away?"

"I think it was all the extra luggage you just bought," Ella laughed.

"Well, it's for you too, so you can come home whenever you want."

"I'll come home, Mom. You act like I'm moving to another continent."

"You're all grown up," Rory said proudly.

"I guess, yeah," Ella shrugged.

"But just because you're all grown doesn't mean that you can't still come to me, for advice or whatever."

Ella paused, looking at her mother, wondering how much she already knew. She'd always promised to tell her mother when she was going to have sex for the first time. She knew that her mother was freakishly close to her grandmother—and they'd actually discussed the monumental occurrence in her mother's life. She couldn't imagine sitting down with a cup of coffee and discussing the events of the night prior. It seemed too personal, to extraordinary. But still, she had promised.

"I know, Mom," she smiled genuinely. "I will," she promised.

"Hey, there's Billy," Rory noticed, causing Ella's head to turn. "Go on," she grinned.

"See you later, Mom," she hugged her mother and took off in his direction.

"HAH!"

Rory whipped around at her mother's voice. She was just in time to see Lorelai dragging Anna by the left hand and shoving both of their ring fingers in Luke's face. Rory's eyes widened as she realized the younger woman bore quite a large engagement ring on her finger. Will was not far behind the reluctant pair.

"Mom!" he called.

"What is that?" Rory asked, now standing beside Luke for a better view.

"Yes, encourage this," Luke mumbled, causing her to smile.

"Very different rings," Lorelai pointed out the differences in size, layout, and sparkleability.

"That's not even a word," Luke complained. "Is it?" he asked Rory.

"Well, not technically, but I'm not gonna argue with her right now," she frowned at her mother.

"And you!" Lorelai whipped around to face her son, who was desperate for her to calm down. "When were you going to tell us?"

"It just happened," he swore. "And we weren't hiding it—we just thought it was best to wait to announce it officially."

"I still think our plan needs work," Anna informed him as she took her hand out of Lorelai's clasp.

"I can't believe you, the two men in my life that I trust, that I think tell me all the important events in their lives, but what do I get? Ring hiding! On both accounts!"

"Come on, Mom, let's go," Rory soothed, trying to get her mom back to the table.

"Oh no, no way. I'm going to Sookie," she grinned evilly, causing Anna and Will to rush after her, to talk her down before all hell broke loose.

"She's evil," Rory shuddered.

"An evil genius," Luke agreed, watching in silence as the chaos flitted away from them.

XXXX

Jess pulled Gwen back in from a twirl and secured her against him with his hand in the small of her back. She looked impressed, studying his face.

"What?" he smiled.

"I didn't realize you could do that," she shrugged in his arms.

"Do what?"

"Dance so well. All fancy with the twirls. Should I be expecting a dip later on?"

"If you're lucky."

Gwen smiled, settling further into his arms until she saw his true target come onto the dance floor. "Mayday, mayday. Eagle at one o'clock," she whispered.

He turned them to face said direction. "I like this stake-out behavior," he lowered his voice, causing her knees to give a bit. He pulled her tighter in response and smirked. "Guess you do, too."

"Just go get the girl."

"I got a girl," he reminded her.

"Yeah, and I'll still be here after you do what you gotta do, now scoot. I have to powder my nose," she drawled, leaving him alone and chuckling on the dance floor.

"May I?" he cut up next to Billy and Ella, who had somehow become super glued together. He saw no separation between their bodies and was sure that if he waited a moment longer, Tristan would become a human partition.

"Sure," Ella said, a bit taken aback. Billy moved off to join the rest of the wedding party at the main table, and Ella turned her attention to her godfather.

"So, I saw you dancing out there. Nice moves."

"Thank you."

"You know, I think the last time we danced, you let me stand on your shoes," she pointed out.

"We won't be doing that this time," he smiled. "You've grown."

"Spoil sport."

"So, tell me. You're ready for school?"

"I am. All packed and mother's heart breaking."

"Go easy on her. She's gonna miss you."

"So I hear."

"And this boy? How is that going?"

"Fine," she blushed.

"He's treating you well?" he pressed.

"He treats me like a princess," she assured.

"Well. I guess that's all we can ask for."

"So, he keeps his kneecaps?" she teased.

"For now," Jess laughed, twirling her out and into her mother's ready stance.

"Shall we?" Rory giggled, catching her dizzy daughter.

"Why not?" Ella laughed, loving her mother's silly dancing spurts. She used to gather her up in her arms when she was little, dancing her around the kitchen or grocery store, or where ever they happened to be at the moment that she got a song in her head. Rory grabbed her daughter's hands and began to rock them back and forth like the good old days, but her face was much more somber than those earlier, carefree days.

"We need to have a talk," she announced softly.

XXXX

It wasn't hard to sneak out unnoticed. Her father had disappeared with Tristan; all the other adults were either chasing each other around the reception site or beginning to feel the effects of alcohol. She slipped up the main staircase of the Dragonfly Inn and moved unencumbered to her destination.

She took a deep breath and knocked. It took a moment before the door opened. Jake didn't open the door all the way when he saw Jules standing on the other side—she couldn't blame him for being wary.

"Hey," she began.

"Hey."

"They said you were sick."

"Well, I've been better."

"Right. Can I come in?" she asked, fully expecting him to say no.

"That depends."

"On?"

"You gonna hit me again?"

She smiled. "No. I wanted to apologize, actually."

He opened the door the rest of the way, allowing her to come in and join him. He sat down on the edge of the bed and waited for her to speak.

"Does it hurt really bad?"

"Probably about as much as your hand," he offered.

She smiled softly. "Yeah. It's kinda sore, I didn't have my weight behind the punch," she recanted her father's teachings.

"Well, you still hit your target," he smiled weakly. "I'm sorry, too. I didn't mean to make you," he began.

"No, no, I overreacted," she held up her hand in protest.

"Look, I just got my signals crossed. I mean, I thought over the last few months, you and I, we've been really close—spending a lot of time together, confiding in each other, and I thought that you felt like I did," he lowered his eyes upon his last admission.

"Jake, you're right. We have gotten a lot closer over the last few months. You have been there for me, in some of the roughest times I've ever had," she began, feeling guiltier and guiltier. "And that's why I should have told you before," she bit her lip.

"Told me what?"

"I … have a boyfriend."

"What? When?"

"A while ago," she finally met his astonished eyes. "I wanted to tell you, but it felt, awkward."

"Oh," he sank down into the bed further, as if deflated. "I guess that makes sense."

"No, it doesn't. I just, I didn't want my dad to find out, and I didn't want things between us to change," she tried to explain. "I know I shouldn't have hit you, but I freaked out, thinking, well, I wasn't thinking."

"You didn't want to betray your boyfriend."

"Well, yeah," she smiled softly, glad he understood.

"You should have told me."

"I wanted to," she insisted.

"So, who is it?"

"Oh, um," she blushed.

"Jules, come on. You owe me that much."

"Court Miller."

"What?" his mouth dropped open. "He's the year ahead of me!"

Jules shifted her weight to her other foot. "I know how old he is," she looked anywhere but at Jake.

"Your dad is going to--," he began, but she cut him off.

"My dad is not going to find out yet," she informed him. "Please?"

He sighed. "Fine. But you have to tell him soon."

"I know. I'm just enjoying the newness, without my dad's freak out ruining it."

"He won't ruin it."

"He'll send Court screaming," she rolled her eyes. "And you and Ambrose have to be on my side."

"Hey, I like the guy just fine. As long as he's good to you," he spoke honestly.

"He is," she nodded. "So, are we okay?" she hedged.

"We're fine," he agreed.

"Good. 'Cause I'd never want," she began.

"It wouldn't."

"Okay. Well, I should get back. You sure you don't want to come down and get some cake?"

"I think I'll pass. At least until the swelling goes down," he smiled.

"Well, then, I'll bring you some later?"

"Sounds good," he nodded, watching as she put her hand on the door knob and let herself out. He lay back on his bed and stared up at the ceiling, letting all she told him sink in.


	18. Chapter 18

Title: Peer Pressure

Summary: Fourth installment in the WHW series. A Trory, of course. And, you know a billion other pairings.

Rating: T, for teen. Because there are so many of them running about.

AN: For those of you who don't know, Seasonal Passions is no longer going to be running. I have moved all my exchange stories to my own site, so they'll be hosted by me from now on—in order to keep them up after the site creator takes down the site, if that's what she chooses to do. And I wanted to let you know that the last of my exchanges, Playing Hooky, is a lift out for the WHW series—it fits between WHW and JOF, for those of you interested and of age (it's NC-17), check it out on my homepage. But now, on with the wedding!

Ella's heart rate seemed to double as her mother spoke the words. She couldn't believe this was where they were having this conversation, let alone that they were having this conversation at all. Especially after her mother's words about coming to her if she needed to talk. She didn't need to talk about this. This was the first in a series of life experiences that would be just hers.

"How did you find out?"

"It's not important how we found out," Rory told her.

"We? God, who all knows about this? Dad? Jess? Gramma?"

Rory bit her lip in hesitation. "Well, your grandmother doesn't know," she hedged.

"Mom! How could you!"

"I didn't! I'm the one that's here, concerned about you, and how you're handling it," she impressed.

"How I handled it? What, you're afraid I did it wrong?"

"Not wrong," Rory rolled her eyes. "But that you were, you know, safe," she questioned.

"Yes, we were safe," she replied quickly.

"Because you don't have to leave it up to the guy," Rory began again. "We can get you on the pill," she offered.

"Mom! God! I'm old enough to do all this myself," she reminded.

"I don't want you to have to," Rory said quietly. "You never have to deal with anything on your own."

Ella's expression softened. "I know, and I appreciate that. But right now, I just feel like I want to try. I'm about to go off, to live on my own, and I feel like I need to start handling my own affairs."

Rory sighed. Tristan's independence was shining through the girl. "I understand."

Ella's eyes lit up. "You do? Meaning, you're going to trust me to take care of myself?"

Rory smiled. "I've always trusted you to take care of yourself. Just promise you won't try to take on too much, and come to us, or someone, if you feel like you're in over your head," she wagered.

"Done," she hugged her mother as the song came to a close. When she pulled back, there was a dark-haired man waiting beside Rory, ready to cut in.

"May I?"

"No," Ella sneered, causing Rory to pinch her into politeness.

"I asked nicely," Ambrose smiled sweetly. Ella frowned.

"Fine. One dance. I need to talk to you about something anyhow," Ella decided, smiling just as sweetly as Ambrose had. Two could play this game.

"Just remember, you're being watched," Rory sing-songed. "And we don't want any more children with black eyes," she warned before strolling off to find her own dance partner.

"You're going to die," Ella hissed as Ambrose put his hands in the proper places to steer her around the dance floor like a proper gentleman.

"Now, that's not very lady-like," he tsked.

"Save it, Am, you told my parents about Billy and me," she accused.

"And risk not getting in good with the girls on your floor? Please," he smiled. "I said nothing of the kind. But I did overhear our parents, talking about how your dad spied you coming out of Ms. Patty's this morning. Seems you weren't so discreet in your departure," he clued her in.

Her eyes closed, and he supported her as she forgot to stand up of her own volition. "Oh, this is so much worse than I thought," she nearly cried.

"Just relax and keep dancing. This isn't the end of the world," he assured her.

Her eyes snapped open to see his smiling face as he attempted to take her mind off her worries. "You're being weird," she studied his smile to assess what level of damage was going on here. She could always tell how much trouble the kids were in with their parents by how amused Ambrose looked. "I mean, you've always been weird, but this is weirder than your usual, broody self."

"I'm just dancing," he protested.

"Exactly. _You're_ dancing. And smiling. What happened? What's going on?"

"Will you just relax?"

"Ambrose, where did our fathers go?" she eyed him suspiciously after scoping out the reception site and finding three key people missing.

"Relax, your little boy toy is gonna survive," he assured her.

"Let go of me, right now, or I'll scream bloody murder," she promised.

"No, you won't. I have methods of silencing women," he raised his eyebrows.

"Don't be gross," she frowned.

"Hey, don't knock it 'til you try it," he feigned hurt.

"No Yale girls for you," she shook her head.

"Fine," he caved. "The end of this song and you can go save the poor guy."

"Fine," she agreed, willing time to move faster.

"But if he can't handle our dads for ten minutes, how is he ever going to defend your honor when it counts? I mean, they're doing him a favor, this level of training—the Marines don't get this good of training as going two-on-one with our fathers," he informed her.

"How would you know?" she raised an eyebrow.

"Let's just say, a couple of years ago, Jake and I found Dad's stash of cigarettes," he led.

"You didn't," she gasped. "Did they kill you?"

"Close. I tried to take the blame, to let Jake off. They cornered us separately, to scare the shit out of us," his face paled. "I mean, I didn't think they'd care so much. After he calmed down, Dad said some things I take after him in, like restructuring cars in hallways," he smiled proudly, "would come in handy later in life, even if he had to punish me now. But that smoking would just kill me, and he wouldn't sit back and watch me do that to myself, even though he fucked himself up."

"He said that?" Ella's attention was off of her situation at hand, at least for the moment.

"Yep. He hasn't kept a pack in the house since. Don't know where he's hiding them," he shook his head.

"Yeah. Dad doesn't keep a pack in the house, Mom outlawed that years ago. She took to flushing them down the toilet when she found whole packs with just one missing," she remembered.

The song ended, and as promised Ambrose let go and stepped back. "Go on. I hope you find him with all appendages still in place."

She smiled at his stab at humor. "Thanks."

XXXX

"Mom!" Will called out as loud as he dared, lest he attract more attention to the situation. "Mom!"

"What?" she turned, halfway through her march to her best friend.

"Will you calm down?"

"No," she crossed her arms. "You should have told us!"

"We just didn't want to do it here, today," he spread his hands out, to remind her where they were.

"Honestly, Lorelai, it's not like we planned this timing," Anna jumped in. "It's just, last night, he came over to apologize," she began, and continued as Lorelai's eyes lit up. She just liked being in the know. "He threw pennies at my window until I opened it up. He babbled at me, and I tried to stay mad," she squeezed his hand now, "and then he just told me he wanted to marry me."

"You did it," Lorelai tugged on her son's sleeve. "Good boy," she pulled him to her in a hug before grabbing Anna and pulling her into it as well.

"What's going on here?" Sookie came up, bubblier than ever now that everything seemed to be going off without a hitch.

"Noth--," Lorelai began, but Will stopped her. Anna stepped forward and held her hand out to her mother. Sookie stared at it with an open mouth, her eyes moving slowly up to Anna, then Will, and finally to Lorelai. All three nodded in confirmation.

"OH MY GOD! Did this just happen? How romantic!" she pulled the kids in for a hug, before pushing back and pointing at Lorelai. "I told you! I told you we'd be grandmas together!"

"Whoa, now, Sook, they're just engaged, and as far as I know, it's not a shotgun sort of situation," she laughed, mouthing 'is it?' to Will. He shook his head and grimaced.

"This is so great! We have to have a toast!" Sookie insisted, looking for a piece of glassware to clink a knife against.

Will spoke up. "I have to give my best man toast, anyhow. I'll just slip it in there," he promised. Anna giggled, remembering his words the night prior, about how he would jokingly do just that.

"You ready?" he leaned in to her, hugging her to him. "'Cause once we tell everyone, you can't decide I'm not quite what you had in mind. You know, that by moonlight I look pretty appealing, but out in the scrutiny of florescent bulbs, I'm not so hot."

"You lived with your mother for too long," she continued to laugh. "And you're pretty hot, even under the infamously unflattering fluorescent lighting," she assured.

"Everyone!" he yelled as he walked to the head table. "Can I have your attention?" he winked at her and began his long-winded rant.

XXXX

"That's your little brother?" Gwen asked as she slid into the seat next to Rory.

Will had just finished his speech by announcing his own engagement to the sister of the groom—the room was abuzz with hugging and congratulations.

"That's my baby brother," Rory beamed.

"That's so adorable," Gwen said. "Weddings make people all romantic."

"Actually, it was more time-honored than the 'I'm at a wedding and my girlfriend is pressuring me' proposal," Rory let on.

"Stick turned pink?" Gwen whispered.

"Nope, but close. It was the 'apology to end a huge fight' proposal."

"Ah. A true classic," Gwen raised her glass to Rory's. "How did your husband propose?"

"In our apartment, about five minutes after a three-month-old Will was dropped off at our house for a week," she imparted. "We got to talking about if we wanted kids, and where we saw ourselves in the future, and suddenly he said he couldn't wait any longer."

"Now, that's sweet," she smiled. "My ex pulled out all the stops—the ring in the dessert, after a whole bottle of the restaurant's finest champagne."

"That sounds romantic!" Rory mused.

"Well, the proposal was. But after that he just kept talking about 'getting it over with,'" she rolled her eyes. "I so should have seen him coming."

"What happened? I mean, if you don't mind my asking?"

"He cheated on me. Left me, actually, for some hostess from Atlantic City," she grimaced.

"Sounds like a winner," Rory whistled.

"I'm better off. I knew that pretty soon after he left. And when I met Jess," she smiled, a far off look in her eye.

"Yeah?"

"I don't know. It's like, all the past things I've gone through, bad or good, they were all leading me up to being with him. Does that sound cheesy?"

Rory shook her head. "Absolutely not. I think it's great. You're really good for him. I've never seen him this happy."

"Was he happy, before?" Gwen hedged. "I don't mean to pry, but he almost never talks about what his life was like before I met him. I know about the end of his marriage, of course," she tapered off.

Rory lost herself in thought for a moment. "I would like to think they were, for a while. They had a lot of challenges, just in trying to be together. I think she had other issues, and she wanted Jess to be something he wasn't. It just got too hard for them."

"I can't see what she'd want him to change," Gwen shook her head. "I mean, he can be infuriating," she smiled knowingly.

"But you like that," Rory nodded, finishing her sentence. "Yeah, I know."

"Sorry, I don't mean to overstep lines," Gwen scrunched her nose.

"No, not at all. That's how I feel about Tristan. Speaking of those two, have you seen them lately?" Rory's voice developed an edge of curiosity.

"Not since Jess danced with Ella," Gwen frowned. "You don't think they…."

"Oh man, not again," Rory muttered. "We have to go," she grabbed Gwen's hand and dragged her off, out of the Inn.

XXXX

Billy was shaking. Both men seemed to be towering over him, even though they weren't really much taller then he was. They'd been tag-teaming the lecture, talking about the proper ways to treat a woman and how Ella's soon to be changing address should produce no change in how often he sees her.

"I don't know for sure what I caught the tail end of this morning," Tristan informed him, "But whatever put you coming out of the dance studio at such an early hour, it's never acceptable for you to put my daughter on display like that, is that clear?"

"Yes, sir, we didn't actually think that anyone else would be around," he lowered his eyes.

"What did I tell you about the sir thing?" Tristan groaned.

"Sorry. I'm just," he held his hands up in defeat.

"Ella deserves to be treated with respect, and that doesn't include opening up her private life to town gossips," Jess jumped in.

"And as soon as she's at Yale, she's going to have a lot more responsibility. I'm not keen on having her tuition wasted on you taking up her study time and taking up free board there."

"No, I wouldn't dream of it," Billy assured him.

"So, we're clear? I hate to have these talks with you, but I just got the feeling you didn't really hear me last time we did this," Tristan put his hand on the boy's shoulder and squeezed. "I just don't want things to get out of hand."

Billy nodded. "I hear you. Loud and clear. Can I go?"

Tristan smirked and looked to Jess. "You have anything else to say?"

Jess smiled as well. "I'm good. For now."

"Beat it," Tristan conceded. "Oh, just one more thing. If I witness anymore early morning or late night departures, we will be doing this again. With props."

"Gotcha," Billy said as he took off from the shady, secluded bridge area. His two tormentors stood in silence for a beat before looking at each other and busting out into laughter.

"God, when did we get this old?" Jess calmed as he patted his jacket down, in search of the foil packet they were ready for.

"I think they're making us old. Thank God we have women to keep us young," he sat down on the edge of the bridge. "Where are the smokes? Seriously, if ever I needed to take the edge off," Tristan commented.

"They're gone," Jess now took his jacket off and started turning each pocket inside out. "They were in there, earlier. I bought some at Doose's when Gwen was headed over to Weston's to order a pie," he said incredulously.

"Maybe they fell out," Tristan offered. "I could run out and buy some more," he checked his watch. "I have like ten minutes before Doose's closes, right?"

"I don't think you'll find them willing to sell you any contraband," Rory's voice called out from behind the trees. A moment later, Gwen and Rory came strolling onto the bridge, their high heels clipping along the wooden planks.

"Excuse me?" Tristan asked in amazement. This had never happened, in nearly twenty years of marriage.

"We handed out pictures of you to the clerks all over town, instructing them not to sell you any form of nicotine," Rory smiled. "You don't mind, right? I mean, it's not like you need to smoke," she quoted him from an earlier discussion on the topic.

"I found out my teenage daughter is having sex. I need to smoke today."

Gwen shrugged. "Unfortunately the last pack you two were allowed to buy has been flushed down the toilet," she stopped just short of Jess.

"You swiped my cigarettes?" his mouth gaped open. She'd picked his pocket without him even being the wiser. He felt a surge go over his body. If he wasn't in love with her before, he was almost positive he was now.

"Rory asked me too. I had no idea you smoked," she raised an eyebrow.

"I don't," he began. "Well, I used to. I've stopped. Many times. For many reasons."

"Well, I really hate the taste of a guy who smokes, since I'm allergic to smoke. Maybe that could be the final reason?"

Jess put his arm around her. "Sounds like the best one I ever heard," he kissed her temple. "How'd you know where I kept my cigarettes?" he eyed Rory, who had sat down on the bridge to comfort her nerve-frazzled husband.

"What am I? New?" she laughed.

XXXX

Dave shut the door to the honeymoon suite, having carried his bride over the threshold and easing her onto the bed. He moved back over to lie next to her, letting the moment sink in.

"Well, at least these things are never boring," she finally said. "Can't have just a wedding—gotta add an engagement as well. Did you hear one of the kids has a black eye?"

"Hey, forget about all them," he said, running his hand over her shoulder. "First things first. How do we get this dress off of you?"

She giggled as he began the search for the endless layers of skirts and crinolines. Finally they got a moment without interruption or overriding drama of friends and family. Since the first time that Will found out who Dave was dating nearly a year ago, they got their first evening alone to think of only each other.


	19. Chapter 19

Title: Peer Pressure

Summary: Fourth installment in the WHW series. A Trory, of course. And, you know a billion other pairings.

Rating: T, for teen. Because there are so many of them running about.

Will was dreaming that he'd slipped the world's tiniest (if not loudest) alarm clock onto Anna's finger, and the buttons were too small for them to hit to shut it off. Their life was to be filled with the endless sound of annoying noise….

He opened his eyes to realize it wasn't an alarm clock, but a phone ringing that had penetrated his slumber. Their phone was ringing, and the answering machine was blinking like a strobe light. It had literally been ringing off the hook.

"How are you asleep?" he groaned, reaching over her warm body to pick the phone up off the receiver, and brought it to his ear.

"Yeah?" he managed, squinting his eyes to see the alarm clock. It was six in the morning, and the partying at the reception the night before had gone on until the wee hours—well after Dave and Mal made their escape to the honeymoon suite. Both Sookie and Lorelai had agreed to lay off of them, claiming to need a reprieve from wedding planning after the past six months anyhow. He and Anna had melted happily into one another's arms about three hours ago, grateful to be able to just focus on the fact that they were engaged without feeling any pressure to plan the wedding.

"Will? Great, you're up! Can you put Anna on? I saw this article," Sookie's voice came over the line, her rate of speech too fast for his still groggy mind to find coherent. He wasn't even sure if she was speaking English.

"Will?" Anna opened her eyes, questioning him softly, her voice still laden with sleep.

"'s for you," he blinked long and hard, handing over the phone. She grabbled for a proper hold, settling for trapping the cordless between her ear and the pillow. She was too tired for motor skills. He mouthed, "It's your mother."

"Mom? What's wrong?" she came off more concerned than she was, as her disproval of having her eyes open at this point couldn't be hidden.

"Sweetie! I just remembered this article I read, in one of the bridal magazines—Modern Bride, or Elegant Bride, or Instyle Bride, I can never keep those straight."

"Mom? It's early," Anna closed her eyes again.

"But I didn't want to forget about--," Sookie insisted.

"Mom, what happened to your long deserved moratorium on wedding planning?"

"Anna, I want to give you the same attention that I gave your brother."

"I appreciate that, Mom, but I think I'll have more input on what might add up to a tasteful wedding when I've had more than three hours sleep."

"Fine. But you call me as soon as you're awake."

"Yes, Mother," Anna mocked, ready to stop talking.

"Bye," Sookie drawled out.

"Uhnn," Anna groaned, poking at random buttons until she hit the Talk button again. She tossed the phone down to the foot of the bed, unwilling to exert the added effort of hanging it up properly on the cradle.

"So?" Will asked, pulling her in to his body, but not actually opening his eyes.

"She wanted me to read some article," she groaned.

"Over the phone? Is there some super power you possess that I don't know of?"

"Witty isn't cute at six in the morning," she reminded.

"Sorry," he kissed her forehead. "I'll try to cut back on the cute before you have your coffee," he smiled. "So, not to be on the side of evil, but what kind of wedding do you want?"

"Right now? Eloping from our crazy families sounds pretty damn appealing."

"Ann," he groaned.

"That'll teach you people to make my mind work before the sun comes up," she griped.

"The sun is up," he couldn't help himself.

"Cute," she chastised, rolling over on her side, away from him. He followed suit, spooning into her back, and holding her tightly against him as they fell back to sleep, fully prepared to let the phone ring without avail.

XXXX

Tristan could feel someone watching him. He opened his eyes to see his wife, sitting with a book open in her lap and staring at him as if words would pop up on his forehead instead of the page that she was ignoring.

"What?" he yawned.

"Nothing," she forced a smile.

"Rory, what time is it?"

"Nine."

"Have you slept at all?" he asked, his voice showing his concern.

"Well, not exactly," she admitted.

"Rory, she's grown," he sighed. As much as neither of them liked this turn of events with their daughter, it wasn't the end of the world. He'd managed to get to sleep and even have rather satisfying dreams of the many different ways he could maim the punk that had plunged him into his own personal hell.

"It's not that," she shook her head, closing her book with a muted snap.

"Is it Jake? Because I think he and Jules have smoothed things over," he ran his hand up and down her bare thigh soothingly.

"It's just, everything's changing so fast," she smiled at him as she reached out to trace his jaw. "I'll be glad when things are back to normal," she assured him.

"Maybe we should take a vacation. Just the two of us. We can let Jake spend some time with your mom—he's got a few weeks before school starts back," he suggested.

"Maybe. A break from reality would be good," she warmed to the idea.

"You want breakfast?" he nuzzled her shoulder.

"How about room service?" she suggested, sinking under the sheets to be on his level.

"Whatever makes you happy," he conceded, pulling the sheet up over both of their heads, causing her to squeal with delight.

XXXX

Gwen stepped into the diner, amazed at the volume that was assaulting her ears. It was clearly the height of the morning brunch rush on this Sunday morning. Jess had refused to come near the diner, for fear of being put to work, so Gwen had offered to go and get take-out, as she had a hankering for Luke's special omelet. And she was fairly sure he wouldn't put her to work. Or at least, she hoped.

She was surprised to see Jules sitting at the counter as she made her way through the crowd. She leaned in close, glad to have someone to chat with while she waited to place her order.

"Hey, you," she smiled, leaning against the counter on one elbow.

"Oh, Gwen, hey," she smiled back. "Um, where's Dad?"

"Avoiding being put to work," Gwen smiled. "You're here alone?"

"No," she shook her head. "Well, I wasn't. Jake was here with me, but he left to go play ball with Ambrose.

"Jake?" Gwen asked hesitantly.

"Yeah. We made up last night, but I asked him to breakfast, to smooth things over. It's still awkward," she revealed.

"Well, the whole situation," Gwen began. "I mean, it's rough when one person feels differently than the other person. Especially when you're close friends."

"Yeah, but it's not just that," Jules bit her lip.

"Hey, where's Jess?" Luke interrupted, stopping in front of the pair.

"In bed, reading," Gwen reported.

"That little punk, I'm gonna kill him," Luke muttered. "You need something?"

"Yep, the special omelet, with hash browns and wheat toast, and French toast with a side of bacon," she ticked off.

"French toast? He thinks he's gonna get take out?" Luke scoffed.

"No, it's all for me, really," Gwen covered, realizing interference needed to be run here. Luke obviously wasn't buying her line. "Seriously, I'm famished. Starving. Barely made it here," she crossed her heart with her finger.

"He's rubbing off on you," Luke rolled his eyes. "God help us all," he disappeared into the back room, leaving the two girls alone.

"Sorry, so you were saying, it's more complicated?" Gwen turned her attention back to Jules.

"Yeah."

"How so?"

Jules eyed her carefully. "I don't think," she shook her head.

"Look, you don't have to tell me things, but if you do, I'm not going to automatically tell your dad. I'm not trying to encroach on parental responsibilities. You have two parents already," she smiled softly.

"You swear you won't tell him?" Jules leaned in, now whispering.

"I'd cross my heart, but after my little performance with Luke you might not take stock in that," she smiled, holding out her pinky to the younger girl. "How 'bout a pinky swear?"

Jules nodded and linked her pinky with Gwen's. "Deal. Okay, so, the reason I got so upset about the whole … kissing thing, is that I," she paused, not quite able to get the words out. Gwen waited quietly, but with expectant, raised eyebrows. "I have a boyfriend."

"Your dad never mentioned that," Gwen's eyes widened with realization. "Oh, your dad," she grimaced.

"Doesn't know."

"Right," Gwen smiled. "Not the kind of boy you bring home to dad?" she guessed.

"No guy is the kind of guy I bring home to Dad," Jules imparted.

"Your dad might surprise you," she nudged. "Not that I'm gonna tell you to tell him. That's your business. But maybe you should look at the fact that hiding it led to hitting one of your closest friends," she hedged.

"I know. It was just easier when no one knew," Jules sighed. "He's the nicest guy," she beamed, thinking of him.

"Your first boyfriend?" Gwen asked, knowingly.

"Yeah," Jules nodded. "What was your first boyfriend like?"

"He drove a motorcycle. My mother hated him," she mused. "Does…?" she paused, realizing she had no name to refer to this mystery boy by.

"Court," Jules whispered.

"Does he have a motorcycle?"

"No. A BMW," she said. "He's a senior, and he's on the basketball team."

"Nice. Your father will hate him, but he sounds much more promising than any first boyfriend I've ever heard of."

"Thanks for that," Jules retorted sarcastically.

"Hey, I call 'em like I see 'em," she shrugged. "But if he makes you happy, then surely your dad will get over himself long enough to over look the jock thing. And the BMW thing."

"Your order's up," Luke was suddenly back in front of them, holding out a bag toward Gwen.

"How much do I owe you?" she took out her wallet.

"Just make sure Jess is here for the closing shift," Luke winked.

"Done," she nodded back. She turned and put a hand on Jules' shoulder. "You wanna walk back with me?"

"Nah, thanks. I'm just gonna stick around, maybe hit the bookstore or something. Just spend a lazy day."

"Okay. Well, if you want to hit a movie later, it looks like your dad is working," she suggested.

"Sounds like a plan," Jules smiled.

XXXX

"He isn't going to kill you," Ella assured her boyfriend as they sat on the swings behind the elementary school. Almost no where in this town was safe from the prying eyes of their joined families and friends. And after the events of the last two days, they were definitely being watched. "My mom wouldn't let him."

"Comforting," Billy groaned.

"Look, it's not like they'll be stopping in my room a lot—they're in New York. They are both very busy with their jobs. They have my brother still at home. And they tend to stay pretty wrapped up in each other. I mean, seriously, Jake and I could get away with a lot more if we wanted to," she insisted.

"Why haven't you?" Billy asked.

"I was saving myself," she smiled sweetly, leaning in for a kiss.

"Okay, so maybe I'll be visiting you at Yale," he gave in.

"A lot," she pressed.

"A lot," he amended, kissing her to seal the deal.

"Good. Because an Ivy League girl builds up a lot of stress," she led. "And I could use my boyfriend around to alleviate said stress."

"So, I'm just a big stress toy?"

"Well, I promise it'll be more fun than playing with toys," she kissed him this time, giving him a sneak preview.

"I hope you have a roommate who never comes home," he sighed, holding her around the waist as they turned around in their swing seats.

"Start praying now," she giggled back.

XXXX

"Closing shift? Man, I really should have coached you better," Jess dug into his food, shaking his head.

"Hey, I got you food. Be grateful," she pointed a plastic fork at him menacingly.

"Now, if you took my shift of refilling coffee for the mentally challenged, then I'd be grateful."

"Can't," she raised her eyebrows. "I have a date."

He stopped chewing for a minute. "Excuse me?"

"A prior engagement," she clarified. "With Jules."

"You're choosing time with my daughter over time with me?"

"You'll be working," she reminded.

"When did you see Jules?"

"At the diner. We talked briefly about the situation with Jake. She seemed to feel better after we talked," she assured him. "Anyway, I suggested we hit a movie later."

He watched her silently, and she couldn't tell if he was upset or pleased. He swallowed his food and reached out for her hand.

His face remained completely stoic as he opened his mouth, at first seemingly without the ability to speak. Finally his tongue worked with his lips to form words. "I love you."

XXXX

"Tuscany? Rio? Maybe an island?" Tristan suggested.

"Such choices, you do spoil me," she giggled.

"I'm serious."

"How about the beach house?"

"You want to go to the Vineyard? We were just there," he reminded.

"Not alone," she pointed out. "The whole family was there. And then some," she recalled. "It wasn't quite the romantic getaway."

"Well, how about this time, we bar the door, turn off our cell phones, and sleep out on the beach," Tristan suggested.

"It does sound appealing," she began to form the plan for the trip in her head. The calls she'd have to make, the items she'd have to pack.

"Then we leave from Yale," he decided.

"But what if she wants us to stay?" she jerked back into mom mode.

"Lorelai will be twenty minutes away. Her boyfriend, despite my and Jess' best efforts, will probably be less than a nanosecond away. She'll be fine. Jake will be in Stars Hollow, where nothing ever happens," he pleaded his case.

"You have untapped legal potential," she let her lips crook up into a half smile. "Fine. I will leave my children in the lurch to have a _From Here to Eternity_ moment with my husband."

"I can't quite here those waves crashing," he tugged on his ear and looked up to the ceiling. She rolled her eyes.

"My charming, gorgeous stallion of a husband, with stamina to be matched by none," she began the well-worn rant.

"I just want to keep you in the right frame of mind. Someone has to keep your priorities in order," he kissed the top of her head before padding toward the bathroom to run a nice hot bath. He was going to destress them both or die trying.

XXXX

"Are those swatches?"

Will looked up from the skillet and nodded. "Wanna hear the bad part?"

"You picked them out and arranged them according the varying degrees of color ranges?" she offered.

He smirked. "Hey, I have fashion sense!"

"Yes, but this would be crossing one of those very fine lines," she pointed out.

"The scary part," he ignored her comeback, "is that those were there when I came in here."

"Ohmygod. Mom must have Dave's old key."

"We're gonna have to remedy that," Will said, switching off the burner and sliding pancakes in front of her.

"I could get used to this whole living together thing," she smiled warmly.

"Don't expect this every day. I just thought our first night here together was something to make a big deal about."

She smiled and took a bite of her pancakes. "Mmm, your dad's recipe," she tapped her feet against the linoleum happily. "Is there any way I can persuade you to make every morning a pancake morning?"

A wide smile broke out over his face. "Well. I could think of a few things," he admitted, nudging her foot with his under the table as he cut into his food as well, enjoying the beginning of this new phase of their lives.


	20. Chapter 20

Title: Peer Pressure

Summary: Fourth installment in the WHW series. A Trory, of course. And, you know a billion other pairings.

Rating: T, for teen. Because there are so many of them running about.

It was a good thing she didn't have a mouthful of something, as she probably would have spit it out all over him, so great was her astonishment at his words. Gwen's mouth dropped open, and she blinked a few times. Jess held onto her hand, looking surprised at his own words.

"You don't have to say anything," he quickly informed her. "In fact, it's probably best if you don't," his eyebrows furrowed together as she continued to look shell shocked.

"Jess," she shook her head, still blinking, "Slow down, okay?" she managed a weak smile. "I just wasn't expecting you to say that, I mean, I knew this was going well. Not just well, but amazing, really, but even when you have amazing going, a girl learns not to expect to hear that, and you with your divorce and," she closed her eyes as he squeezed her hand. When she opened her eyes again, one at a time, to gauge his expression, he saw that he was smiling. Not only smiling, but holding in laughter.

"You're ranting," he supplied.

"Thank you, I was aware," she blushed. She squeezed his hand. "I love you too."

"Well, then my outburst wasn't quite as inappropriate as I thought," he gave her a softer smile, no longer on the verge of laughter.

"No," she agreed, sticking her fork into her omelet randomly, not able to take a bite, but needing something to do with the nervous energy that had flooded her system.

"Hey," he caught her attention, stood up, and pulled her up in front of him with his handhold on her.

"Yeah?" her eyes traveled over his features.

Jess brushed her cheek lightly with his knuckles and brought his face close to hers. "I really didn't think this would get so far, so fast," he confessed, "and I don't know how I got so lucky, you've got me through the last six months," he kissed her softly. "And I love you."

She kissed him quickly, not needing to hear any more. She knew he had more than enough to strength to have gotten both himself and his family through the trouble they'd faced, but it'd been her pleasure to have been the person there for him to lean on.

"How's that for the more stable way to tell you?" he asked between kisses.

She pulled away from his mouth and rested her head against his shoulder, holding him and being held. "I'm still not getting you out of your shift later," she teased, breaking the tension and causing him to grab her by the hips and toss her gently onto the bed, ready to extract his revenge for allowing him into being roped into slave labor on their last night in town.

XXXX

"I don't know why you even try," Ambrose commented, sinking another basket. Jake took the ball as it bounced once, having just fallen through the net with ease. He tossed it to Ambrose, who tossed it back, and they started all over again.

"Just because you don't play fair," Jake rolled his eyes.

"We need to get you to a gym. We'll get you in shape, and then you can have any girl you want," Am suggested. "Because all you really need are good abs. Those speak for themselves."

Jake looked pained. "Can we discuss anything else, already?"

"Look, it's not my fault you went barking up the wrong tree. Jules isn't into dating," Ambrose took the ball from him, attempting a shot. Jake blocked the shot and put one arm up across Ambrose's chest, dribbling with the other.

"That's not why she didn't want to date me," Jake informed him.

"Not her type?" Ambrose stuck his bottom lip out playfully. "I'm telling you, man, a guy with chiseled abs is every girl's kind of guy."

"She didn't say no because of my abs," Jake now tried a shot, to no avail. Ambrose now had control of the ball, and the conversation. "It had nothing to do with me."

Ambrose's concentration was thrown for a moment, and Jake easily stole the ball and made a shot. "What, she likes girls?"

Jake forgot the ball as he asked the question. "What?"

"Well, if it had nothing to do with you," he led.

"Jules isn't a lesbian."

"Then what is it?"

"I … can't tell you," he said honestly.

"Oh, come on! I'm your best friend. We even did that stupid blood brother shit when we were little," he delayed his reactions to the game, waiting for Jake to spill. "What's up with Jules?"

Jake hung his head in defeat. Both in the game and the conversation. "Fine. But you tell her I told you, and I take my blood back," he warned.

XXXX

"Why didn't we just go to Luke's?" Rory asked as they sat down at a café in Hartford. Their trunks were packed with fall clothes for themselves, and they had even picked up some new things for Ella to take to college with her.

"We always go to Luke's," Lorelai said. "Don't you want to branch out, try something new?"

Rory raised an eyebrow. "You're just too tired to drive," she nodded in realization.

"Ohmigod. Did the mall get bigger?"

Rory giggled. "That grandma thing is really starting to catch up with you, huh?"

"Hey, watch it. Just a few years from now, you'll have the same problems."

Rory got quiet and stared into her cup. Lorelai watched her expression change and put her hand on her arm. "I was kidding," she swore. "Rory, what's wrong?"

Rory looked up, with a look of knowing hesitation in her eyes. "Mom," she began. "God, why is this so hard? It was easier to tell you about this the first time around."

"Oh. My. God. You're pregnant?" Lorelai's eyes widened to the size of saucers.

"NO!" Rory grimaced. "God! Ella's having sex, okay?"

Now her face paled. "She's what?"

"You heard me," Rory looked back into her cup.

"With Billy?"

"No, with the football team. Sort of a farewell to the school," Rory rolled her eyes. "Of course with Billy."

"How long has this been going on?"

"Evidently just one day," she said. "It happened at Ms. Patty's."

"Must run in the family," Lorelai muttered.

"Excuse me? I never … You?" realization hit her midway through her protest.

Lorelai blushed. "Well, not my first time. More like my five hundredth time, but still," she smiled at the memory. "It was after a town meeting. Luke and I were the stragglers, arguing over some inane matter, I think it was about adding more twinkle lights to the manger in the town square," she smiled. "Anyhow," she said. "I can see the pull. The yoga mats really do cushion, especially on your knees," she began adding too much detail.

Rory put her hands over her ears and made random noise. Lorelai rolled her eyes and pulled her hands down from her head.

"Aren't you too old to do that?"

"Never too old not to want to hear about my mother's sex life."

"Well, just make sure I'm not made a great grandma. At least, not for the next few years. I have a son to marry off first," she smiled.

"Topic change, perfect," Rory took a sip of coffee. "I'm so happy for him. Did you see him, how he couldn't quit smiling during the toast?"

"I know. Both my babies are all grown up and living their own lives."

"Don't remind me."

"Ella is going to be fine. And you still have Jake," Lorelai was completely sympathetic.

"I know. That's what Tristan keeps saying," she nodded, giving a brave smile. "He thinks we should take a vacation, to take our minds off of the flurry of change."

"I can't believe I'm going to say that, but I completely, one-hundred percent agree with your husband," she frowned for a moment, but perked up again on the next breath. "Wait, does this mean I get my grandson for a while?"

Rory nodded and smiled. Her mom loved having the kids, always at the ready to spoil them. Or, as she called it, to educate them. "Just don't scar him. He already has the black eye," she laughed, falling into a comfortable caffeine satiation with her mother.

XXXX

"You want a weight bench?" Tristan asked as he scratched the back of his head. "Where are you going to put a weight bench?" He'd come into his son's room to let him know that the next weekend he'd be back in town, staying with his grandmother. He'd spend the time since Rory had taken off to go shopping with her mom to make plans for their trip.

Jake shrugged. "Garage?"

"What's this about?"

"Noth--," he began, but a very pissed off Jules flung the door open before he could finish.

"I'm going to give you a matching shiner!" she yelled. "How could you tell him?"

"Oh, shit," Jake stepped behind his father. "He wasn't supposed to say anything!"

"Right," she scoffed. "Who else did you tell? Your dad? My dad?" she moved to get near Jake, but Tristan kept his body between the arguing teens.

"Hey, hey," he tried. "What exactly is going on?"

"I trusted you!" Jules was clearly satisfied to ignore Tristan and go about trying to pummel Jake.

"You punched me!" he bit back.

"So you rat me out? I thought we were making up!"

"Kids," Tristan tried calmly, not wanting this to escalate.

Ambrose stopped short in the door frame and caught Tristan's eye.

"A little help, here?" he said as Jules chased Jake around his body, and he easily caught her around the waist, still flailing her arm out to strike Jake.

"You suck!" she yelled. "I'm sorry I ever apologized for hitting you," she informed him.

"Hey," Tristan said soothingly. "Don't say things like that."

"True things?"

"Things you don't mean," he imparted. "What's going on?" he questioned the three teens, now standing far apart from one another, in a triangle around him. "I have all day," he added.

"Nothing," Jules said quickly.

"Yeah, I buy that," he nodded, crossing his arms. "Details, followed by apologies by all guilty parties," he demanded.

Jake looked to Ambrose. He sighed. "I just teased her, a little bit. I didn't tell her I knew."

Jules shook her head. "Yeah, you left a lot to the imagination."

"I'm sorry I told him," Jake offered. "But it's not like you could hide this forever."

Jules shuffled her feet, averting Tristan's eyes. "Yeah. I guess. I'm sorry for what I said."

She didn't sound so convincing, and he was completely confused as to the topic at hand, but no one was in danger of attacking anyone else, so he conceded. "Okay. Go in peace," he pointed to the door. Jules stalked off, but Ambrose sat on his bed. Jake leaned against the wall. Tristan sighed and looked at his son.

"I'll look into the weight bench when we get home," he agreed, figuring at this rate, it couldn't hurt.

XXXX

Luke watched Jess fill coffee cups and ring people out, without a single word of complaint. He'd come by with Gwen, who ate before leaving about an hour prior. Jess seemed to be humming some tune Luke didn't recognize, and even making semi-polite conversation with Kirk, who was having a dilemma over the amount of carbs in the breading for the fish versus the carbs in the bread the grilled chicken was served on. He didn't just walk away, he actually explained that Kirk could take the grilled chicken off of the bun and not worry about any of it. At the lack of bloodshed, Luke leaned back against the counter and watched him openly, nearly enraptured. When Jess came back to fiddle with the coffee pot, he looked at Luke.

"What?"

"You're downright chipper," he smiled.

"Is this going to be a long jag into the delusional world you live in, or a brief one? Because after talking to Kirk, I can't take much more," he sighed.

"What's gotten into you?"

Jess smirked and opened his mouth, but Luke held up his hand. "And don't be gross."

"You take all the fun out of this," he sulked.

"You didn't get engaged or something equally dumb, did you?"

"Now, that's no way of welcoming Gwen into this family," Jess chastised.

"You didn't!"

"No, I didn't," he agreed. "But you make it so easy," he grabbed two plates from the top of the counter and took them toward their recipients.

"Then what is it?"

"Can't I just be happy?" Jess asked, more than a little harassed sounding, as he came back around the counter.

"I've asked myself that about you before, countless times," Luke shrugged. "I always came up with no," he smirked.

"Fine, if we have to be women about this," he glowered. "It's just Gwen and I, we," he nodded his head pointedly, as if willing Luke to get the drift without him saying the words.

"You had sex?"

Jess looked at him in bewilderment. "I'm not having this conversation," he began to walk away, but Luke grabbed his shirt collar.

"Fine, you're having sex, what else happened?"

"I think I'm having an aneurysm."

"Jess," Luke barked.

"I told her I loved her," Jess finally admitted.

"And she did what?"

"She said it back," he smiled.

"Good for you. I like her," Luke smiled back.

"Says the guy that didn't want me to be engaged to her," he pointed out.

"I just meant, it's so soon, the divorce was just finalized a few months ago."

"You jumped right into engagement after your divorce," Jess remembered.

"That was … different."

"Well, that's one word for it," Jess laughed, already feeling better.

"You gonna tell Erin about all this?"

"Call my ex-wife to tell her I told my new girlfriend I love her? Why, yes, it's on my to-do list," his sarcastic tone flooded his response.

"I didn't mean that," Luke rolled his eyes. "You know, she should know before you live together, or get married."

"I didn't give her a key or a ring. I love her. She's getting to know the kids. That's enough for now," he held up his hands. "Erin doesn't call me every time she has some milestone with the beach bum," he reminded.

"Fine, I'll drop this for now," Luke shook his head, seeing that this conversation wasn't going much farther.

"And the world takes a collective sigh of relief," Jess announced, picking up a rag to wipe down the now empty tables.


	21. Chapter 21

Title: Peer Pressure

Summary: Fourth installment in the WHW series. A Trory, of course. And, you know a billion other pairings.

Rating: T, for teen. Because there are so many of them running about.

Rory had the back hatch of the SUV lifted, surveying all the contents that the family had stuffed into it over the course of the last two hours. She seemed to be looking for something, or a lack of something, in her scanning. Tristan carried yet another jam-packed tote bag out and piled it on top of the highest layer of his daughter's belongings.

"You can't do that," she shook her head, taking said duffel off the top where he'd just placed it.

"Why not?"

"You can't see out the window if you do that," she pointed out.

"Where else will it go? We all have to fit in the car too, and we still have our bags to get in there," he reminded.

Rory rolled her eyes and began rearranging previously placed items. She worked swiftly for about two minutes, ending up with even the new bag included and seemingly more room left over in the car.

"That's so scary," he eyed her as if she might pack him in like a sardine.

She just smiled. "Is that it?"

"I don't know, but I do know we have obviously bequeathed way too much on our first born. I think we should cut back on Jake's worldly goods now, so he'll have a much easier move to school."

"Your back hurts?" Rory rubbed one hand over his lower back.

"I just need a vacation with my beautiful wife," he smiled, kissing her cheek.

"I think that can be arranged," she murmured against his lips before turning and screaming at the top of her lungs toward the open garage. "ELLA!"

"And there goes what was left of my hearing. I knew I wouldn't survive living with a teenage girl and keep my hearing in tact. Damn, I was so close, too."

"Sorry," she grimaced, rubbing his arm as their daughter came out with three more bags and an armful of clothes. "What is that?"

"The last of my stuff," Ella stated.

"Where is it going to go? I can fit one, maybe two of those in the back. But you're gonna have to cut back on the clothes."

Ella looked like she'd just been informed that she'd be living in a tent in the quad, with no running water at her disposal. "I need all my clothes. And it will totally fit," she corrected. She moved to her own car and began doing the same rearranging trick that her mother had done to the SUV. Once she had just enough room fit her body into the car, she turned and smiled.

"Nice," Rory inspected. "But where is your brother going to sit?" she arched an eyebrow.

"Damn," Ella swore, moving back to her car.

"I'm feeling the love," Jake joked as he came out from the garage. "Do I have to ride with her? She doesn't even know how to change lanes," he griped.

"I do so," Ella defended herself. "You're just a baby."

"You jerk over into other lanes without caring if people are currently occupying said lanes."

"Like you're so much better?" she scoffed.

"As much as I'm going to miss separating you two," Tristan began, "we do need to hit the road."

"Okay, everyone has everything?" Rory double checked.

"How could you tell anymore?" Tristan pondered.

"You could look at the list," she offered.

"What list?" Ella asked.

"You didn't make a list? I told you to make a list. I gave you a starter sheet!"

"I thought that was a joke!" Ella volleyed.

"When has she ever joked about a list?" Jake rolled his eyes.

"If she forgets anything, she can always come home and get it," Tristan offered.

"Or we could bring stuff up to you," Rory patted her daughter's shoulder, clearly calming herself.

"Well, it's good to know you won't just leave me without the bare necessities."

Jake eyed the nearly buckling loads that had been crammed into both cars. "What do you consider bare?"

"And we're off," Tristan announced, heading for the driver's side door.

Rory put her arm around her daughter's shoulders and turned them back toward the family home. "Ready? Want one more walk through?"

"Mom, I know what the house looks like," she smiled.

"Yeah. But the thing is, it'll never look the same," she imparted softly.

Ella looked to her mother, suddenly feeling the weight of leaving home. She couldn't imagine this place not feeling like home to her. "Maybe one last look. To use the bathroom," she nodded, squeezing her mother back.

XXXX

"Why were we here so early?" Will yawned.

"Something about guarding the parking spaces," Luke answered.

"Those people are glaring at us. They might cut our brake lines when we make a run in. I don't think guarding the spaces is allowed past a five minute mark," he remembered.

"Tell that to your mother," he rolled his eyes. "Where did she go, anyhow?"

"Coffee," Will shrugged. "Something about meeting cute guys at the same cart every time."

"This had better be the last Yale move-in, ever," Luke grumbled.

"Hey, there they are," Will pointed to the two cars that were headed slowly down the crowded row of cars in front of Ella's freshman dorm. The Danes family, with Billy in tow, had been at the university for the last two hours, when Lorelai swore Rory said they would meet them. It seems she got their departure time confused with their arrival time.

He waved them in, ignoring all the continued looks from those who were wishing them flat tires and speeding tickets on the way home. Ella hopped out of her car and hugged her uncle.

"You came!"

"I can't miss this," he smiled. "Another one bites the dust and all."

"Where is Anna?"

Will smirked. "Wedding cake sampling."

Ella frowned. "Isn't Sookie making the cake?"

"Like we have a choice?"

Ella laughed. "Then why is she tasting cake?"

"Sookie is trying to get us to nail down wedding plans. We haven't even picked out a month yet. Two days ago, we woke up to articles shoved under our front door about the pros and cons of winter weddings."

"Our front door? So, she's all moved in?"

Will smiled. "We're doing it slowly. She's got the necessities, and she's staying there every night."

"Is it great?"

"Get no ideas," Rory said, carrying three bags and a laundry hamper past the pair. "Do you have your key?"

"She doesn't need it, the door is unlocked," Will instructed.

"My door is unlocked?"

Will nodded. "Your roommate is here. Billy's in there with her. He seemed to know her," he shrugged.

"What?" Ella asked. She turned to follow her mother to her assigned room on the second floor. They entered through the open door a minute later to find Billy moving the beds in the room, and a familiar looking blonde came darting out of the bathroom and stopped short of the mother/daughter pair.

"Ella!"

"Jane?" Ella's eyes widened in shock.

"Are you surprised?"

"Are you?"

"No! Mom insisted that we room together, when I finally saw that Yale was the perfect school for me. She's insisting that we all go out for dinner together later," Jane smiled.

"Paris is here?" Rory asked incredulously. "Is your dad here, too?"

Jane nodded. "Yep. They're just at the hotel," she smiled and turned back to consider Billy's efforts. "What do you think? I think the beds make more sense there. They had them over against the opposite walls," she frowned, evidently remembering.

"Billy, you don't have to do all this," Ella shook her head.

"I don't mind," he moved forward to kiss her forehead as Tristan walked into the room.

"Oh, you've got to be kidding me," he said under his breath, a smiling gleam in his eyes as he looked at Rory. "Is this some sort of family curse?"

Rory pinched him. "Shut up or she'll hear you," she warned.

"She's here?"

"Paris is everywhere," Rory giggled, setting down the first load on what Jane had deemed Ella's bed, and they moved to go get more stuff, on the seemingly unending journey from car to room.

XXXX

"What's it going to take?"

"My laundry. The rest of the year."

"Like you do your own now anyhow?" Jules snarked.

"Good point. I should be more creative," Ambrose smirked, flipping the channel as he lounged on the couch. "How about the dishes? I hate to do the dishes."

Jules glowered. "Fine."

"And my room, it gets so dusty," he announced.

"You want me to dust your room?"

"Dust, vacuum, keep tidy," he smiled.

"This isn't worth it," she muttered.

"Well, you know, I can always get this over with. Tell Dad. Have him make you invite your boyfriend over so that he can properly scare him off once and for good. We'll all sleep better. Except me, with all that dust. Makes me sneeze."

"I can't believe you aren't going to help me out."

"I am perfectly willing to help you out," he corrected.

"For a price," she added.

"I know how to duck a punch. I have no need to fear you," he smirked.

"Can we please stop mentioning that, ever again?"

"Look, face it—you need me here," he turned back to the TV.

"Maybe not," she got an idea, feeling suddenly brave. She'd been feeling much more assertive lately. She wasn't sure what to attribute it to, but she liked the rush of adrenaline that came along with it.

"You're gonna tell Dad?" he asked in disbelief.

"Just promise me you won't say anything for the next twenty-four hours, and I promise not to tell him why his car really had more gas in it than he thought it had two weekends ago," she raised an eyebrow. Two could play this game. She knew all about his little road trip, and his botched efforts at overfilling the tank so Jess would be none the wiser of the unauthorized use of his car.

"You don't know anything," he looked up at her suspiciously.

"Try me," she bit her lip.

"Fine. Twenty-four hours," he agreed.

Jules smiled and sat down on the couch with her brother, staring mindlessly at the screen as her plan began to take shape.

XXXX

"I really should have taken you home," Jess smiled, leaning Gwen against his front door after their date. They'd had an early dinner, and he was going to spend the evening in with his kids. Erin was scheduled to call, the first in what she'd deemed necessary weekly calls. She was desperate for the kids to want to spend the winter holiday with her, and this was her newest way to attempt some sort of bridge.

"You needed to get home, and I'm a big girl. I've been navigating myself around Manhattan for years alone."

"That is a damn shame," he leaned in for another kiss. "You're sure you don't want to come in, keep me company?"

Gwen smiled at the offer. "I should go, this isn't my business," she said. "They need you, not us."

"But we're still on for tomorrow? Movies downtown?"

"You buy the tickets, I'll buy the food."

"You really should rethink that. My kids are pigs when it comes to movie fare. They can pack it away," he warned.

"I think I'll survive."

"Just trying to save you from going into hock over the supposed feel-good movie of the year," he kissed her one more time before the door yanked open from behind her. He caught her around the waist, so she wouldn't' fall into his apartment.

Jules reached out for Gwen's arm. "Oh, good. I need you," she announced, pulling her into the apartment ahead of Jess.

"Guess you're staying after all. I'll break out the board games," he smirked.

XXXX

"What is it?" Gwen asked, completely discombobulated as Jules shut the door to her room.

"I need to ask you a question. A favor, sort of. Well, maybe not. But definitely a question."

"Slow down, take a breath," Gwen instructed, watching as the teen did just that. "Okay, ask away."

"Okay. The thing is, I was sort of entertaining the idea of telling Dad. About Court. And me. Us," she said finally.

"Okay."

"And I was wondering, you know, how calm you think you could keep him."

"Excuse me?"

"You know, your powers, you're womanly wiles, are they great?"

"Jules, hang on, I can't," she began.

"Yeah, you can. I've seen the way he looks at you, we both realize that he's—oh no! Have you guys not talked about stuff like this?" she clapped a hand over her mouth.

"Stuff like what?" she treaded lightly.

"You know, the relationship talks. How you both feel, where this is going," she nodded. "Do you know where this is going?"

"Well, not exactly," she hedged. "But we've," she took a deep breath, realizing this wasn't exactly her place, but the girl seemed more than okay with a positive outcome. "We've decided it's more on the serious side."

Jules beamed. "So, you can help me."

Gwen sighed. "What do you want me to do?"


	22. Chapter 22

Title: Peer Pressure

Summary: Fourth installment in the WHW series. A Trory, of course. And, you know a billion other pairings.

Rating: T, for teen. Because there are so many of them running about.

AN: Thanks to K, for prodding me, when I didn't feel like writing. Hope you enjoy your special treats in this chapter. The times, they are a-'changin'. (grins) Anyhow, to those of you that don't know, or might be interested, I've got two one-shots associated with this series—Playing Hooky, which is available off of my homepage (it's NC-17) and a tamer, cuter one-shot, A Bedtime Story, which is posted here on ff. Enough plugging. Shameless, I know. On with the story. . .

Jess hadn't said a word in over five minutes. His foot tapped rapidly, and he seemed to stare at the coffee table, over which half a dozen books were strewn. Gwen knew he was listening to this end of the call his kids were on to their mother, at the ready should they need him to intercede. He hadn't opened up to her a lot about how they were coping with having their parents split up on two coasts, but she couldn't imagine it was easy on any of them. She could see it wore on Jess, as much as he shielded her from it.

Gwen slid her hand onto his jostling knee, and he instantly stilled.

"Sorry. I just," he let out a sigh.

"I know," she smiled. "I should go, though, and leave you to this," she whispered.

He shook his head, reached out for her cheek, and pulled her in for an intimate kiss. "You're the only thing keeping me sane right now. I beg you, please, just stay right here," he sighed, honestly dripping from his words.

"Okay," she whispered back, and they went back to listening as she curled up against his chest. He remained rested against her with his eyes closed until his kids really started talking. For the last few minutes, he could tell Erin had been talking to fill the void for her insolent children.

"Nothing," came Jules' voice.

"Why do you suddenly care now?" Ambrose's voice was louder than Jules'.

"Am," Jules chastised, saving Jess a yell toward the kitchen.

"What? Seriously, Mom, what do you want to hear? You obviously don't want to hear every day, normal things about our lives, otherwise you wouldn't have taken off. So, you want to hear the headlines, like how Jules has perfected her right hook, or that I've decided to take a year off before I go to college, or how about the fact that Dad's in love with someone that isn't self-obsessed and puts him first for a change?"

Jess was now on his feet, but Gwen held him back, clinging with all her might to his arm. They shared a look and waited for more.

"No, Mom, he's not saying," Jules tried.

"Why would Dad tell you that, Mom? Have you even asked him? Cared if he had moved on? Because he has, they're practically living together," he continued, but Jess had moved away from Gwen and removed the phone out of Ambrose's hand. Jules was still on her cordless, her mouth slightly opened in shock.

"Erin?" he asked, his teeth clenched as he glowered at his son.

"What the hell is he talking about, Jess? You have some girl there, living with my kids?"

"You two, go to your rooms. Now," Jess instructed, and Jules hung up her extension and followed her brother, who was practically steaming at the ears, out of the kitchen. "Ambrose is pissed off. Gwen isn't living here, he was just trying to piss you off."

"Why would he say it if it weren't true?"

"Gwen is spending more time with the kids—but she is not living with us."

"So, you're grooming this person to be our children's new mother?"

"She's not trying to be their mother, Erin, they've gone this long without one really being there for them, putting their needs first. She treats them like human beings, they like her, she likes them. That's it. End of story."

"If she's spending time with them, I need to know about it!"

"You left, Erin! You left. You can't pick and choose what you care about! I wouldn't have brought her into their lives if I thought it was bad for them. They are my kids, they come first."

"But you love her? Is this true?"

"That is none of your business," his voice softened.

"You do," she said quietly.

"She's amazing, Erin. I didn't plan this, but here it is."

"I want to know my kids, Jess."

"That's something you have to work on. I can only do so much damage control with this, Er. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to go ground our son."

"I'm sorry. Just, have them call me when they're ready?"

"I will," he sighed and hung up. He came out into the living room slowly, collecting his thoughts, not wanting to act out of anger. He wanted to be calm and rational as he laid out why what his son had said was the dumbest, most childish thing he could have said. When he came into the room, expecting to see Gwen, he found just his very sheepish looking children.

"Where is she?"

"She said she needed to go," Jules said quietly.

"I'm sorry, Dad," Ambrose stubbed the foot of his shoe into the floor. "I didn't mean for this to," he ran his hand through his hair.

Jess held up his hand. "You're grounded. For speaking to your mother like that. One week. I want your cell and your keys on my bureau when I get back. Understood?"

Ambrose nodded as Jess reciprocated and grabbed his keys. He disappeared out the door without another word.

XXXX

Rory hugged her daughter again. Ella found it funny the first three times she pulled her back in, but enough was enough.

"Daddy, can you do something about this?" she asked from under her mother's grip.

"Sure," he nodded, and took them both into his arms, crushing them harder under his stronger arms.

"Ugh!" she cried. Rory giggled through threatening tears and pulled back when Tristan did.

"You're sure you're ready for us to go?" Rory asked. "I'll keep my cell on, just because we're going away for the week, don't think you can't call," she reminded.

"And I'm just twenty minutes away," Lorelai added, stepping in to hug her granddaughter as well. Will was next in line before Jake stepped up awkwardly. Ella rolled her eyes and hugged her brother quickly. They both let go and stepped back, sharing a knowing smile that disappeared as quickly as it came.

"I'm still taking your room," he said finally.

"Over my dead body," she said, out of their normal routine.

Rory sniffled rather loudly, causing her entire family to turn and look at her breaking out into tears. Tristan stifled a chuckle at the thought that fact that Rory was crying over the fact she'd miss something as inane as a sibling scuffle. He pulled her into his arms just as Jane came back into the main common room of the dorm suite, followed closely by her parents.

"Geez, Gilmore, you're leaving her at Yale, not Attica," came the familiar, more-than-a-little-bossy voice of her own ex-roommate.

"Paris, I'd say it's been too long, but you always know when I'm lying," Tristan smiled at the petite blonde.

"Marty," Rory smiled warmly and moved to hug him before pulling Paris into a rather unnatural hug as well. "It's been way too long," she smiled at the pair.

"Did you get my message about going out to dinner?" Paris checked.

"Well, see, Paris, the thing is," Rory began.

"Oh, please. Tell me you two aren't ready to race out here to copulate," Paris groaned.

"As a matter of fact," Tristan smirked, falling back into his old ways all too easily around his wife's old nemesis.

"Ew," came a chorus of children and relatives. Marty smiled knowingly, catching Rory's eye as she blushed.

"Look, we'd really love to go and catch up, but," she began again.

"Great. We've made reservations. Kids, you want to come?" Paris decided.

"Actually, I thought we'd do what Gramma suggested, scoping out some of the fast food delivery places," Ella said, looking to her new roomie. "Sound good?"

"Sure, if it's okay," Jane looked to Paris, who sighed.

"What do I care? It's your skin," she shrugged. "Just keep your epi pen with you. Let's go, we have reservations for six o'clock," Paris said, already moving out the door.

"Wow, she really hasn't changed," Lorelai marveled.

"Not a bit," Rory agreed.

"You have no idea," Marty shuttered before hugging Jane goodbye. "You sure you're all set?"

"I'm good, Dad."

"Okay. Call me if you get into any trouble, would you?" he said, almost as an afterthought.

"I'm not dumb, Dad."

Marty smiled and held the door open for the other couple, as they were getting in last hugs themselves. "Ah, finally, proof that something I said overrode your mother's programming."

XXXX

Will was glad for the normality of the loud, overcrowded, and bustling kitchen. Lorelai had suggested peace talks—to get some pressure lifted off of his and Anna's backs during Sookie's mad rush to make it official. Will had confided in her that it was too much, and he didn't want Anna stressing over unnecessary preparations as they were trying to settle into living together.

So he was currently helping to load the table down with food, and in just a moment he would sit down with his parents, his nephew, Anna, her parents, and her little sister—the current Stars Hollow clan. He just hoped he and Anna would be allowed to do most of the talking, and not forced to do most of the listening.

He heard Sookie yell out to go wash up and grab drinks, so he grabbed hold of Anna's hand and pulled her into the small bathroom that he'd taken over in his youth. His mother had redecorated it once he left the house, but he still felt it belonged to him, just as he felt about the room he grew up in.

"Hey," she let out a small squeak at the suddenness of finding herself enclosed in the small alcove of a bathroom. He locked the door behind them and smiled.

"Will, now is not the time," she giggled.

"I just wanted a minute. It's getting crazy out there."

"And it's just gonna get crazier," she nodded in agreement.

"Just, promise me that no matter what, at the end of this evening, you're still gonna want to marry me?"

Anna smiled and stepped up closer to him. "I promise," she whispered before kissing him on the mouth. He held her head gently against him, not ready for the moment to pass. She wrapped her arms around him, hugging him as she pulled away. "Mom's crazy about all this, but she means well," she said unconvincingly.

"At least our dads are here. They're good at reining them in," he said, just as unconvincingly.

"We should just get this over with."

"Right," he nodded and unlatched the door. "After you," he offered.

"Chicken," she scowled and walked past him, out into the kitchen.

"Just in time, let's eat," Lorelai smiled enthusiastically, and pointed to the loaded down table. She took her place between her husband and grandson, who looked totally relaxed for the first time in weeks. Not that the teens shouldn't be relaxed, it wasn't their future that was being taken out of their hands.

"I heard from Dave," Will started as he sat down. "They say they might not come back from the islands," he joked.

Anna poked him, just before her mother started in. "Do you think you two might like to go there as well?"

"Oh, well, I hadn't thought much about that," he frowned.

"Or a nice secluded cabin in the woods somewhere?" she tried.

"Does this cabin have running water? Because I'm gonna vote no, if not," Anna joked.

"I don't see why you two aren't taking this seriously!" Sookie announced, setting her serving spoon down.

"Sookie!" Lorelai admonished.

"Well, a wedding is a big deal, it takes forever to plan, and if we don't start now," she gave her daughter a pointed look.

"Mom! I've been engaged, like, a minute," she held up both hands in frustration.

"And we're in no rush," Will added.

"Why should they be in a rush?" Jackson asked.

"Thank you, Dad," Anna smiled gratefully.

"As long as they're happy and we have time to get Will fitted for a kilt," he shrugged as he dug into his mashed potatoes, "what's it matter?"

"I'm sorry, did you just say kilt?" Will asked, completely agape at his soon to be father-in-law.

"What? I wore one!"

"Okay, everyone, let's calm down, shall we?" Luke tried in vain.

"I'm not wearing a kilt," Will crossed his arms.

"I wanted everything to be in yellows, but if we do a winter wedding, we should make everything look iced, like sparkling snow!" Sookie said.

"Mom! I don't want a snow-covered wedding!" Anna shouted over the raised voices. "In fact, I don't want a big wedding at all!"

Everyone was silent now. All eyes were on her, including those of her intended. He just gave her a brief nod, willing her to speak her mind. He was with her, no matter what.

"I was thinking we'd just go and do it, no fuss, no muss. We just want to be together, we don't want our families to go into debt in attempts to ice the town in celebration. Maybe we'll do it right before a break from school, so we can have our honeymoon without worrying about final exams—or we can wait until this year is over and we're done. It doesn't matter to me, as long as Will is there."

"Well, if it doesn't matter to you," Sookie edged in, "then why can't you just let me and Lorelai do all the work, all you'd have to do is show up," she promised.

"Mom, you're not listening to me!" Anna groaned, and everyone started voicing their own opinions, all at once, no one really listening to a word anyone else was saying. Caught in the midst of the group freak out, the two teens that had nothing to add to the chaos slipped out completely unnoticed.

XXXX

"I can't believe all that," Lia said as they got to the quiet of the town square. "I'm never getting married."

"I thought all girls wanted to get married," Jake looked surprised.

"Hardly," she scoffed. "You want to get married?"

"I don't know. I guess. Someday. I'd have to find a girl to marry first, right?"

Lia nodded. "One that won't leave such a ring around your eye," she said quickly, before realizing what she'd said. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean," she cringed.

"It's okay. Everyone knows, right?"

"You'd be surprised. I mean, we all know that something happened with you and Jules, but no one was talking details."

Jake nodded. "You want to know?"

"I'm here, if you want to talk about it," she clarified.

He nodded again and remained silent for a few paces. "I tried to kiss her."

"And so she slugged you?"

"She's sort of otherwise involved. I didn't know," he explained.

"Wow."

"Yeah," he scuffed the bottom of his shoes along the pavement as they walked. "I guess I don't have a lot of luck in the dating department. I mean, everyone at school sees me as Ella's dorky younger brother. I mean, I have friends, but the girls have never been all that interested—at least the ones I'm interested in. And I mean, I know Jules really well, and I'm so comfortable with her, and I thought," he sighed. "I don't know what I thought."

"I'm sorry. Maybe you just need a scenery change."

"I guess. Just two more years and I'll be at college, right?"

Lia shrugged. "Sorry. At least you don't live here. There is no one here worth dating, let me tell you. I've known all the guys since birth—no one new and fun ever moves here. I can't wait to get to college."

"Yeah. A scenery change would be good," he agreed, and they continued to walk around the town, not ready to go back to the house until they were sure the battles had played themselves out.

XXXX

"That has to be the taco guy," Jane surveyed the contents of their coffee table. "He's late, give him a small tip," she added.

"That's not nice," Billy argued. "You know how horrible delivery jobs are? He probably got lost."

"It's his job to get here on time, with warm food. The faster he appears, the bigger the tip. Tips are optional, you know that right?" Jane tittered back.

"Why don't I get the door?" Ella asked, as she watched her boyfriend bicker with her roommate. She waded through the still unpacked boxes and food containers to make it to their suite door. She opened it to find the best-dressed delivery boy in the whole world. He looked like an Abercrombie model holding a huge, grease-soaked-through paper bag.

"Is this suite eight?" the boy's brilliant blue eyes shined as if he were highly amused.

"Uh, yeah," she fumbled for her purse to pay him. "You have trouble finding it?"

He laughed. "Well, the delivery boy did, love," he began. "I'm up in eighteen," he explained. "I mean, we ordered a ton of food from the place, too, but not this much. We looked at the ticket on the bags, and realized he'd made a mistake. We hated the idea of some poor group going hungry on our behalf."

"That's nice of you, to bring it down. What do I owe you?" she pulled out a wad of bills her father had left her with.

The boy waved his hand dismissively. "My treat."

"No, really, I couldn't," she stammered, unable to look away from his eyes. "Let me repay you."

He smirked, and leaned in to hand her the bag. "I can think of better ways for you to repay me than with money."

She blushed outright. "Excuse me?"

"Buonas noches, darling," he winked and with that was gone.

"What was that all about?" Billy asked as she returned, flabbergasted, to their small circle.

"Nothing," she frowned, not sure if she should be insulted or amused. "Should we put a movie in?"

XXXX

Tristan pulled his exhausted wife toward him in the back of the limousine that he'd arranged to pick them up and whisk them away to their vacation home. He told her that he wanted it to start as soon as possible, and that included them not having to fight traffic. More time to get her tipsy, he'd winked at her.

"I don't want champagne. God, I mean, she never changes, does she? I can't believe she did this."

"Rory, come on. It's Paris. Ella isn't stuck with Jane forever," he reminded. "Besides, Ella is a big girl. She can handle Jane, just like you handled Paris."

"And dinner, it went on forever! She kept sending things back," she complained.

"But she isn't here now," he pointed out. "It's just you and me, and I'm more than willing to do whatever it takes to put a smile on your face," he smirked.

She looked to him and sighed. "I'm sorry. I just didn't expect an evening with Paris."

He slid his arm around her. "We are free, my dear. Look around. No more Paris. No more kids. Everyone is off doing their own thing—we have nothing do to do but relax."

"I guess," she smiled softly. He was already humming as his hand reached out for the side control panel.

"What are you doing?" she asked as the top panel slid back, exposing them to the night air and stars above. "Are you humming Barry Manilow songs?" she asked as he stood up to stick his torso out the sunroof, now singing the words.

"_And if I hold you, For the sake of all those times, Love made us lose our minds, Could I ever let you go, Whoa, no we made it, Left each other on the way, To another love, Looks like we made it, Or I thought so till today, Until you where there, everywhere, And all I could taste was love the way we made it, Ohhhhh we made it_--," she tugged on his pant leg, laughing harder the louder he sang.

When she managed to yank him down, half on top of her, so they were both laughing past the point of tears, she tried to scold him.

"Barry Manilow?"

"I found your CD," he narrowed his eyes knowingly at her.

"That's Mom's! She hid it in my car as a joke!"

"Sure," he kissed the tip of her nose.

"We're gonna have to get you singing lessons—that was WAY off key," she tried to straighten her face as she gave her critique.

"Ah, but you are now smiling and happy and ready for me," he leaned further into her, their bodies a mass of jumbled and entwined legs and arms, "to do this."

His lips were on hers, and she let the weirdness of this stressful day melt away with his touch.

"I'm going to need more than one badly sung verse of 'Looks Like We Made It' to make me forget today," she hinted.

"I also know the words to 'We've Got Tonight,'" he chuckled as he pressed his lips over her heart, dissolving her into a mass of giggles and pleasured sighs.

XXXX

Tristan came into the master bedroom, having just finished running a huge bubble bath for him and his wife to enjoy, as she finished talking with their daughter. Ella had called just as they reached the house—just after their warm-up activities had concluded in the limo. He couldn't be happier—literally. Work was going well, so well he was up for yet another promotion. His daughter was off to Yale, his son was figuring out how to transition from teenager to man, and he had a glorious week away with his beautiful wife.

Rory put the phone down on the nightstand and patted the bed as she saw him in the doorway. He walked slowly over to her.

"So, how goes it?"

Rory giggled. "She's having a weird first night. Seems Billy and Jane are arguing, non-stop."

"And she's surprised? Didn't they argue on the scouting trip, too?"

"Yeah, but honey, they're arguing rather passionately. They don't seem to be getting mad at each other, they just never seem to stop bickering."

Tristan raised an eyebrow. "No."

Rory shrugged. "All I know is that Ella is very frustrated that she can't seem to drag Billy out of the common room and into her room for any alone time."

Tristan fell onto the bed, next to Rory, grabbed a pillow and held it over his face. Rory giggled at the muffled scream. She tried to yank the pillow from over his head, but his grasp was tight.

"Honey, this is good news. She isn't having sex," she tried.

He lifted the pillow to peer at her. "Well, that's true," he sighed. "Thank God for Paris's annoying daughter."

"But there was a cute boy that showed up at her door," Rory added. "He paid for her food or something. She mentioned him a lot, for someone she spent five seconds talking to."

"What's this boy's name?"

"She didn't get his name."

"I'm gonna really hate the next four years, aren't I?" he put the pillow back over his face and groaned again.

"Come on, let me make it all better," she tossed the pillow to the other side of the room, gripped his hand with hers, and led him back to the bathroom, where a steaming hot bubble bath had been drawn in the large tub.


	23. Chapter 23

Title: Peer Pressure

Summary: Fourth installment in the WHW series. A Trory, of course. And, you know a billion other pairings.

Rating: T, for teen. Because there are so many of them running about.

He could feel the back of his cotton shirt as it began to adhere to his damp skin. He'd set out on foot, allowing the August humidity to mix with his already raised temperature for the displaced anger he had at his son and his ex-wife. He couldn't rightly blame either for his current situation, so he turned it in on himself as he went out looking for the woman that had been caught in the crossfire. Gwen lived just a few blocks from his apartment building—he'd thought in the beginning what a miracle it'd been for him not to run into her until the appropriate time such that he was available to enjoy getting to know her like he had. Their paths quite literally could have crossed at any given point in the last few years—in the last three quite specifically, since she'd moved into her current home. They shopped at the same small grocer, enjoyed reading in the same local coffee house, even did their laundry at the same Laundromat, and since they'd begun dating they had begun using these places in their neighborhood as excuses to see one another more than they might get a chance to otherwise.

He'd given up on pounding at her front door, when the woman down the hall stuck her head out to see why he was calling for the door to open—and to find out properly why he couldn't blame her for not wanting to see him. He cursed about nosy old biddies under his breath and took for the stairs, not having time to wait for the elevator.

As he rounded the corner to the door of the coffee house, he said a little prayer and hoped for the best. He peered in the front window to see her familiar form hunched over a small table in the back of the store. He took another calming breath and entered the small establishment.

"Huh-uh, you get outta here! This is non-violent establishment!" came the harassing voice of the barista that seemed to work every hour of every day at this particular shop. It was his belief that she hated all men, but Gwen said it might just be him. It was clear that Gwen had been here long enough for his name to be on the server's shit list.

"I'm not planning on being violent," he held up both hands, speaking as soothingly as he could through gritted teeth.

"No, but if you upset her more, I'll be violent with you," she warned.

"Look, this is none of your---," he began, but she shook her head.

"My work place, my business. I'm watching you," she narrowed her gaze at him.

"Fine," he glowered back, and wound his way through the tightly packed chairs to end up standing behind Gwen's chair.

"So, I guess you realize I'm here, and you haven't bolted from the building, so that's a good sign, right?" he asked softly.

"I told you I should get going," she said without blame.

"I know, but I didn't want," he began, but halted. He hadn't meant for any of this to happen, but he was sure she realized this. The point was, it had.

"Look, I thought maybe this was all going too quickly," she finally looked up at him, craning her neck just far enough to see his face.

"This, we, we're not going to fast. The rest of my life just needs to catch up to it, that's all," he promised, crouching down to eye level.

"Hands where I can see 'em!" came his nemesis's voice from behind the counter.

"Will you tell her you're okay?" he pleaded.

She cracked a smile. "I'm okay, Ruby," she called out over his shoulder. They heard her mutter something not so quietly or under her breath, but no more calls out to Jess were made. He smiled, and she shrugged.

"You gonna sit or what?"

"I thought you'd never ask," he smiled and sat on the other side of the small table. "So, what'll it take to get you near my children again?"

Gwen looked down into her iced coffee, twirling the straw through the ice. "Look," she breathed. "I like your kids, but I think they've got the wrong idea about what's going on here."

He narrowed his gaze, focusing on her hesitant features. "I'm not going to like this, am I?"

She smiled and put her hand on his. "You just got divorced, Jess. And I know this is going really well, but that doesn't change the fact that you and your kids have a lot of adjusting to do," she looked away from him and took her hand away. "Maybe I'm just in the way, a distraction from all that."

He grabbed her hand again. "Ambrose is angry at his mom for what she did. He'll get through that, with time, I hope," he sounded less convinced as he spoke, "but he likes you. He likes me better when I'm with you. He's told me," he smirked. "Look, I'm ready to be with you. If I need to shield you more from all of this, fine, but if it's that you just don't want to be with me," he caged.

"I want to be with you, it just doesn't seem fair, the timing," she looked up into his eyes. "I know how rough divorce is," she said finally.

"It was," he acknowledged. "Worse for the kids, I must say. They're still reeling from missing their mom, and they have to deal with watching their dad be really intensely happy with someone new. Because I am, Gwen. I'm happier than I've ever been, when I'm with you."

"But is it fair, for us to be progressing if your kids can't come to terms with it?"

"Do you honestly get the sense that they aren't okay with us? Barring the earlier outburst, that had actually very little to do with us?"

She bit her lip, thinking of Jules especially, how she had opened up to her. "No, I don't get that feeling."

"See? Erin can deal with her own battles. I'm not the guy that fights those anymore."

She let out a deep breath. "So," she nodded.

"So, how about we take this on the road? I think Ruby might come at me with something sharp if we stay in here too much longer."

"I think she's just sweet on you, and she doesn't know how to express it," she teased, standing up and taking his hand.

"Trust me, Ruby's problem isn't self-expression," he shook his head with a chortle and led the way, holding the door open for Gwen out into the heat and avoiding all eye contact with Ruby.

XXXX

"Are you trying to hurt me?" Sookie's voice rang out across the table from her daughter. "Ever since you were a little girl, I've been dreaming of making your wedding cake, to give you the perfect blend of humor and elegance, to make the most special day of life more special!"

"Mom, it's not that I don't appreciate all of that, it's just, I think it'd be more special if it were just the two of us," she tried to explain. "A marriage is based on the two people entering into it, not the sugar we ate the day we make it official."

"That is a valid point," Luke pointed out.

"You—not helping," Lorelai frowned.

"Mom, calm down, it's not that we want to exclude you, it's just this wedding would be about starting a marriage—something that we don't plan on sharing with the world," Will piped in.

"Dream on," Luke muttered.

"Look, I think everyone just needs to calm down," Jackson jumped in.

"Oh, who asked you?" Sookie turned on him. "You with your fruity kilts! Like that's making this any easier!"

"Hey!" he yelled.

"Okay, enough!" Lorelai called out, putting her hands in the air as she stood up. "Look, obviously, we, your parents, who birthed you, and raised you, and taught you to be independent thinkers—though wishing you were the kind of people who wouldn't independently think of having a secret wedding and excluding those people who treated you so well your entire life—and thus we want, ultimately, for you to do what your hearts tell you. So, if you must go and get married alone, whenever that might be—we can live with that."

"Really?" Will asked, as he gripped Anna's hand under the table, almost sure of success.

"Really?" Sookie asked, clearly not on the bandwagon yet.

"Really. Under a few conditions," she coughed, and then smiled brightly.

"Here we go," Luke shook his head.

"Shush, you," she admonished. "We will be okay with you getting married alone, if you let us plan a party—completely to our discretion as to size, location, and theme—to celebrate at some point after said nuptials."

"Like a reception?" Anna asked.

"Like a party in celebration, way afterward."

"A celebration that would involve me making a cake?" Sookie perked up.

"Well, people expect cake at a party," Lorelai smiled.

"You really agree to stop with the forced culinary samplings, the early morning swatch deposits, and the having townspeople corner and grill us for hours on end while we're at the market?" Anna asked.

"If I have to put your mother in a straight jacket myself, I will make sure this deal is upheld," Lorelai crossed her finger over her heart.

"And you, with the kilt?" Will turned to Jackson.

"Yeah, I didn't want to wear one at mine, either," he conceded, rather sheepishly and slightly disappointed.

Will looked to his dad, who looked much as he normally did—ready to commit the lot of them to the nearest asylum—then to Anna. She nodded and gave a believing smile.

"Okay, deal. Now, should we be concerned that we lost two of our party sometime in the last hour?"

"Damn," Lorelai swore. "I had one job, to watch Jake," she cringed. "Rory's so gonna kill me."

"I think they'll be fine," Luke assured her, his hand on her arm. "You know, as long as he keeps his lips to himself," the corners of his lips turned up slightly, as the rest of the party couldn't help but fall into comfortable laughter.

XXXX

Jane had gone into her room after they stowed the rest of the left-over food in their mini-fridge and watched the last of their second movie. Ella had grown exponentially annoyed with her boyfriend's constant response or rebuttal for every word that came out of Jane's mouth over the course of the evening. She'd barely said a word all night, and she honestly didn't think he even noticed. When he began following her into her bedroom, she turned and prevented him from entering the room.

"Where do you think you're going?" she inquired.

"Very funny," he moved to slip his hands around her waist.

"I'm not kidding," she shook her head, holding steady on her defenses.

"Ella, come on, where do you want me to sleep? The couch or my car?" he teased.

"That's your call," she shrugged.

"You're serious," he inquired.

"Uh, yeah, hence the blocking your person from my doorway," she rolled her eyes. "This isn't a hard-to-get kind of thing. This is an annoyed girlfriend thing," she spoke slowly.

"Cut the crap, Ella, we've already slept together," he rolled his eyes. "This isn't a big deal, I'm sure Jane doesn't care if we--," he began, but she held up her hand.

"First of all, just because we had sex? Doesn't guarantee it'll happen again at every juncture you and I share for the rest of our lives. In fact, right now, you'll be lucky if I ever sleep with you again. And secondly? Jane is exactly the reason you are not stepping foot near my bed tonight," she informed him.

"What?"

"Billy, come on! You've been flirting with her all night! Watching you flirt with other girls doesn't get me all hot and bothered!"

"You're insane. I wasn't flirting with her! I can't stand her!"

"I have eyes, Billy," she narrowed her eyes at him.

"You're being insane!" he groaned and pushed her door further open with one hand.

"God, why can't you just admit it? I mean, at least then I could respect your behavior, instead of just wanting to kick you out altogether!"

"It's not my fault you're so self-involved that you need all the attention focused on you at all times!" he shot.

"Wow. You just upped it from idiot to asshole. Sleep where ever you want, Billy, you just better not be in my room when I get back," she took her keys off the table and moved past him.

"Where are you going?" he sighed.

"What do you care? Jane's here to keep you company," she spat out before slamming the door behind her.

XXXX

Tristan was down in the kitchen, making a snack for himself when he heard his phone ringing in the front room. He'd emptied his pockets as soon as they entered the house and was now glad that he could easily locate the source of the only noise in the house. It was so peaceful here with all the windows open to let in the sound of crashing waves fill the space.

He jogged into the front room, leaving the half made sandwiches that he had begun in his wake. Rory had said she wasn't hungry, but he'd learned from years of living with her that those words meant nothing coming from her. If he didn't bring enough to share, he'd end up having to make a second trip to the kitchen later so he could satisfy his hunger. She was very skilled at stealing his food right out from under him.

"Dugrey," he answered automatically.

"Tristan, good, I'm sorry to call so late, is now a bad time?"

"Daniel, no, this is fine, what's going on?" his tone now concerned as his direct boss' voice filled his ear.

"Everything's fine," he assured him. "In fact, I just got out of a meeting, discussing the promotion you had gone up for," he led.

"You did?" he was now keenly attending to the conversation.

"And I can't tell you officially, that will happen once you get back from your vacation, but I figured you wouldn't want to sweat it out. The position is all yours," he assured him.

"They're really ready for me to run my own department?" he asked, still in awe of the news.

"They know you've been trained by the best," he joked. "They have complete faith in you, so much so that they're going to let you have your choice of locations," he went on.

"Choice of locations?" Tristan repeated slowly. "You mean, you're staying in New York?"

"No, I'm heading up to Maine, as planned. But some guy from Virginia is being brought up to take my place. You'll be in either Raleigh or Boston, again, your pick. Take the vacation, talk it over with your wife, let us know when you get back. Say hello to Rory, will you?"

"Uh, sure, sure thing. My best to Denise as well."

"Of course. Congratulations again, Tristan. You deserve it. Good night."

"Yeah, thanks. Night," he hung up the phone and looked around the empty house. The moon shone in through the open blinds and only the distant light from the kitchen down the long corridor was on. The sound of waves was all he was cognizant of, but he wasn't sure if they were coming from outside, or inside his brain as he grappled with the unexpected news his boss had given him. Moving—crash. Raleigh—crash. Boston—crash. Rory's face—he was pulled undertow.

"Tristan?"

He shook his head at the sound of her voice, pulling him back above water.

"I'm here," he closed his eyes.

"Could you maybe bring me a little something?" came her hopeful tone from upstairs. He had to smile.

"Don't I always?" he called up, making his way in bare feet down the hardwood floors toward the kitchen.

"You're too good to me," her voice wafted through the house like the salty ocean breeze. He finished their snacks and delivered them to her, vowing not to even think about this news himself until morning.

XXXX

Ella walked around the nearly deserted campus incensed. All around her were the social rejects, roaming about because they were too homesick, fighting with their significant other, or worse—had no significant other and were just roaming listening to their I Pods and trying to enjoy the romanticism of walking around alone in the moonlight. Ugh.

She just couldn't stay in that room any longer. He hadn't really denied his behavior, just tried to make her feel like she was losing her mind. Who does such a thing! She continued to walk at a rapid pace as she rounded the corner to the main library—the place her mother wanted her ashes scattered at, she loved it so much.

Her mother. The woman that wanted her to come to this blasted school. If she hadn't listened to her mother, let her weasel her way into her mind, making her think this was the be-all end-all school of all time, she wouldn't be here, roaming about alone and enraged. Her boyfriend wouldn't have been in driving distance, and thus irritating her by his mere presence in her life this evening as he flirted with her roommate. Her roommate wouldn't be Jane of all people, the daughter of the most anal-retentive control freak she'd ever heard tell of. Jane, the girl that was just as oblivious to her unending flirting as her ass of a boyfriend seemed to be. She would be at Sarah Lawrence, with a normal roommate, and wouldn't be out roaming the campus like a loser.

But as much as she wanted to blame her mother, she really couldn't. She'd decided to come here, on her own. She was her own person. Her own person that wanted to throttle the boy that claimed to love her whilst he flirted his ass off in front of her. Jane wasn't even that cute! And she was annoying! How could he not see that?

Her mental ranting never slowed as she got more and more worked up, and halted only as she collided with a taffeta covered figure that came flying down the stairs of the library. They hit with an 'OOF' from each, and Ella steadied them by reaching out for the girl's elbows.

"I'm so sorry!" she cried out, as her partner in crime laughed harder than she had been upon her not so graceful exit of the building.

"It's my fault, I take after my mother," she giggled, to which Ella frowned. Talk about a freaky coincidence, the speaking of mothers.

"I'm sorry?"

"No matter how often I have to wear them, the crinolines just don't make me any more lady-like," she giggled as she disentangled their limbs. "Thanks for breaking my fall!" she called out behind her, as she ran back around behind the building, calling out ahead of her. "Red Rover, Red Rover, send Grey right over!"

Ella shook her head, not quite sure what to make of this, her second real college encounter. Her first had gone horribly wrong—meeting her roommate. And now this. While the girl was crazy, she was captivating, to be sure. But then, as her father said, all crazy people were captivating. She just hoped her college experience wasn't filled with nights like this.

"Oh well," she said out loud, only to herself, "if this bombs, I can always transfer at semester," she sighed, not in any hurry to head back to what awaited her in her room.


	24. Chapter 24

Title: Peer Pressure

Summary: Fourth installment in the WHW series. A Trory, of course. And, you know a billion other pairings.

Rating: T, for teen. Because there are so many of them running about.

AN: It's been long. I know. I've been sick and sort of putzing about. Sleeping a lot. But I'm back with a longer installment. And K's 'rec's. And I hope you all enjoy this big helping of fluff, as Rory gets snooty on the show. She never did in this series. . . .

Lorelai opened the door as softly as she could, but it seemed that it'd gone too long between oilings, as the hinges creaked too loudly. She grimaced and entered the room, looking down at the fair-haired boy in the bed just under the window. She breathed a sigh of relief and sat down on the edge of the bed.

"Uhn," he groaned.

"Sorry, I was just coming in to tell you that I'm headed to Luke's for breakfast," she whispered loudly.

"Uhn-huhn," came the somewhat responsive groan.

"You maybe wanna join me?"

"Shower," came the first word she'd heard her grandson utter this morning.

"Sure, sure. Take your time. Luke is forced to make me food of my choosing, no matter what time of day it is. Not that this is a perk for being married to him or anything, just a rule that I've always instituted with him. Due to a couple of prolonged whining sessions about twenty-five years ago, but they were really effective," she smiled.

"Gramma?" he squinted as he sat half up in bed.

"Yeah?" she paused to look at him.

"Would you mind, uh," he frowned and pointed to the door.

"Something wrong?"

"It's just, I'm kind of in my boxers, and," he gritted his teeth and looked up at her. She smiled.

"Right. I'll just be catching up on my TV watching. Maybe my Tivo finally taped something of interest," she smiled and left him alone to get ready for the day. She appeared cool and collected, but as she closed the door and walked down the hall she breathed a sigh of relief knowing if and when Rory called to check in on her one and only son, she could rightly tell her that she knew exactly where Jake was, and that he was okay. She wouldn't let him go off and disappear again.

XXXX

Tristan slipped back into the house after his morning run along the beach. He'd thought about waking his wife up to join him in a leisurely stroll instead, but she'd looked too comfortable to be bothered. The truth was, he needed the time alone to get his thoughts in order, but the fresh air had done little to soothe his mind. He couldn't put off telling Rory about the decision he needed to make—at least not forever. The sooner he did it, the better—he knew that to be true. But it didn't make it any easier to actually get the words out. She was still sleeping away peacefully when he came back into their shared room. He reached over and kissed her forehead before moving to the bathroom and starting up a long, hot shower for himself.

By the time he emerged, his surroundings looked similar to his mind—completely foggy and murky. But he felt refreshed as he opened the door into the clear air of the bedroom and found Rory sitting up in bed with the phone in her hand. She frowned and set it down.

"No one's answering at Mom's," she yawned.

"So try her cell," he shrugged.

"No, I'm sure everything's fine. I'm just worried for no reason."

"You're worried about Jake?" he queried.

"Sort of. He's been different lately."

"He's just growing up, he's fine."

"You think?" she bit her lower lip.

"He's a little restless I think, that's all. Maybe he needs a change of pace."

"Well, Stars Hollow is as different from New York as it gets. You'd think kids that go to school in New York City wouldn't get restless," she sighed.

"Look at Jess," Tristan pointed out.

"Jess' problems were different," she explained. "And most of his issues were the change of scenery. He didn't have enough outlets in Stars Hollow."

"Maybe he just didn't get laid enough," Tristan raised his eyebrows, and Rory swatted at him.

"Very funny."

"Why don't you just call her and get it over with?" he propped himself up on one elbow as he came to rest next to her on top of the covers.

"I'm not going to call Mom. I'm sure Jake's fine, or she'd call me."

"I meant Ella," he put one hand on her arm. "I'm her father, I would like to hear she's adjusting. You know, see if Jane survived one night under the same roof."

Rory scrunched her nose. "I shouldn't."

"I know. But you're going to anyway. I know it, you know it, and she's probably waiting for your call."

Rory looked at him, then the phone. "Maybe in a bit. Let's go into town and roam around for a while."

He nodded and pressed his torso up to kiss her. "Sounds like a plan."

XXXX

Jake and Lorelai sat at the corner table in the diner, watching the townspeople come and go as they lingered over their food. Luke and Lorelai kept exchanging silent glances, ones that were chalk-full of words. Luke had suggested she take him out for the day, but she had no idea what the best thing to do for him was. She knew his parents were concerned about him, what with his recent anti-social activities since having the mishap with Jules, but she wasn't sure how well a teen-aged boy would take life advice from his grandmother. Even if it was from her, the coolest grandmother in the world.

"So, I was thinking we could go out today, have some fun," she smiled brightly. "Some manly fun," she added, for good measure.

"Do we have to?" he looked pained at the very thought.

"Now, I know, you're thinking I'm a girl, what do I know about being manly? And maybe that was true, when I was younger, with only having had lived with my parents and Rory, and let's face it, my dad wasn't so manly. He was better dressed than a lot of women I know," she began her rant. "In fact, the only man that made him look like the burly kind of guy is Michel, who, let's face it, has standing appointments for mani-pedi-facial combos at the spa he heard that Celine Dion once frequented," she rambled.

"Gramma," Jake snapped his fingers to avert her attention.

"Not that we can't go get a mani-pedi," she assured him.

"No thanks."

"I was thinking more of the shooting range and a monster truck rally. Or if we can't find a monster truck rally, maybe some bowling."

"You bowl?"

She smirked. "I have."

"She got an 80 and tried to get her money back, claiming the lanes were rigged," Luke piped in as he refilled her coffee. "Some might argue that wasn't actually bowling, as you only accidentally made contact with any of the pins."

"I take great offence to that! I am an excellent bowler. Oooh, I know, we could spit off of a bridge. Boys like that, right?"

"Can I take a rain check on the spitting?" Jake asked.

"Well, what do you want to do?" she stared at him in shock. "Please don't say camping," she cringed.

"I wouldn't dream of going camping with you," Jake assured her.

"Smart boy," Luke patted his back.

"It's not like we'd starve. I'd bring my own food," she assured him.

"And get it stolen by a bear," Luke supplied.

"Football, maybe? Is that in season?"

"I was thinking of just hanging around town, maybe going to the library," Jake shrugged.

"No! Come on! I can be very fun to hang out with. Just give me a chance," she pleaded.

He sighed. "I'm not going to talk her out of this, am I?" he looked to Luke.

"Well, you do have age on your side. Theoretically she should die sooner than you," he shrugged.

"Fine. We can go bowling. But I'm not letting you near a gun," he consented.

"Yea! Okay, so, Luke, where is the nearest bowling alley?" she looked at him with all seriousness.

XXXX

Ella sat on her couch, flipping aimlessly through the channels. She had no basis for what number gave her which channel, as it seemed completely scrambled from the order on the cable channel at her house in New York. She didn't really care, as every three seconds she hit the channel up button, causing the colors to change and different people to be cut off mid-thought. She hadn't slept all night, wondering if she'd overreacted to the argument she'd had with Billy and wondering where exactly he'd gone last night. Granted she'd been the one to tell him to leave, but he could have at least called her this morning, couldn't he?

"Morning," came Jane's voice from her now opening door. "Hey, where's Billy?"

"Dunno," Ella sighed.

"He's not in your room?"

"Nope."

"When did he leave?"

"Not sure."

"But, I thought he was going to stay for a while," Jane kept pressing the issue.

"What does it matter?" Ella dropped the remote and stood up from the couch. "Did you two have plans?"

"No," Jane replied. "God, what is your problem?"

"My problem is that my boyfriend, if he's even that, is a jackass," Ella moved to get a small bottle of orange juice out of the mini-fridge. "He wanted to sleep in my room after ignoring me all night."

"He didn't ignore you," Jane argued.

"Okay, look, I don't know how many close girlfriends you've had in the past, but you're supposed to be on my side here," Ella shot back. "I mean, even if it was you he was flirting with."

"He wasn't flirting with me," Jane said. "He was just expressing his opinions."

"Rather passionately," Ella supplied.

"He's a great guy, I don't get why you're being so hard on him," Jane unpeeled a banana and took a bite. "You're gonna drive him away."

"Maybe I don't need your opinions," Ella shook her head and disappeared into her room, changing out of her pajamas quickly and grabbing her cell phone. She moved past Jane and out onto campus without another word. She needed comfort food if she couldn't find comfort in those around her. She hated that she wanted her mother—that she missed having her family's support at a time like this. Even if she wouldn't go into details, she knew that if she were home she could rest her head on her dad's shoulder and have her mom make any combination of junk food in the world and any problem she had would be buffered by feeling protected and loved. Here she just felt jilted and the need to escape.

XXXX

Rory roamed about the antique store, not really intending on buying anything—she liked to roam around and be astounded at the prices the dealers thought nothing of charging, claiming that some forefather had once been in the same room with the rotting piece of wood. Tristan found this desire comical if not pointless, but today he would deny her nothing.

"Two thousand dollars. You can't even put a glass of water on it, or it'd collapse," she sighed.

"That's not the point."

"You sound like my grandmother," she laughed.

"God help me. Can we get out of here? Get some lunch?"

She looked up at his pained face. "Too much for you?"

"I'm just hungry. That run this morning kick-started my metabolism."

"I noticed you were gone. What's got you up running this morning? Feeling nostalgic for your North Carolina days?" she teased.

"What?" he twitched at the insinuation, before realizing there was no way she knew of his quandary.

"You okay?" she asked as she followed closely behind him on exiting the shop.

"I'm fine."

"You nervous about hearing about the promotion?" she realized and drew her body closer to his, despite the increasing temperature outside. "I'm sure you got it. No one deserves it more."

"Thanks," he mindlessly kissed her temple. "I just need to keep my mind off of it."

"You wanna play?" she skipped her feet once, in amusement.

"Sure," he laughed.

"Okay, I'll go first. Would you rather," she rubbed her hands together evilly as she thought, "eat a spider or have the bottle land on Ms. Patty during spin the bottle?"

"Ms. Patty is nearly one hundred years old," he croaked.

"But still pinching those male nurses' bottoms at the nursing home," she pointed out. "Last time mom and I went to visit her, she made two of them blush," she laughed.

"You shouldn't be allowed to make these questions up," he groaned.

"Procrastinator," she teased.

"How big is the spider?"

"Think cursed Hawaiian relics on the _Brady Bunch_," she smirked.

"Ugh. Ms. Patty. Your turn. Would you rather live in Boston or North Carolina?"

She scrunched up her nose. "Well, Dad's in Boston, and your folks are in North Carolina," she sighed.

"How is it you make both of those sound worse than the two options you presented me?"

She raised her eyebrows. "Here's your sign."

"I'm never letting you watch that movie again," he shook his head.

"Hey, they're all funny. Except Larry the Cable Guy. He's just disturbing."

"So, you'd prefer that I not start sporting a beer gut, sleeveless flannel shirts that look like they can walk around by themselves, and a ball cap with a fishing lure attached to it?" he laughed.

"Preferably, no," she shook her head solemnly. "Though you might make a good fishing buddy for Luke if you did all those things."

"And you call me a procrastinator."

"North Carolina, I guess."

"Really?" he seemed truly shocked to hear the words come out of her mouth.

"I've just never been big on Boston," she shrugged.

"Harvard is in Boston, you were big on Harvard for a while," he reminded.

"Things change. I just never had good experiences in Boston."

"Your dad isn't' that bad. You guys get along now."

"Because we have a routine. Every other Christmas we visit, and calls on all other major holidays and birthdays. Too much more than that seems to blow up in our faces. We're good if we miss each other."

He put his arm around her back and squeezed her shoulder. "So, North Carolina."

"Yep, which means, it's my turn," she grinned as they walked along in search of a suitable place to have lunch.

XXXX

Anna smiled as she handed Will the box of orange juice and cleared the bowls away from the table. They'd spent all morning in blissful silence, working beautifully in quiet tandem, enjoying the sounds of birds chirping and smelling the flowers through their open windows. They were free of the issues their families had tried to tie them to, and now it was just the two of them, enjoying the last couple of days before school started up again.

"Hey, Dave's coming home tomorrow, I thought we'd have an impromptu 'welcome back to real life' party for him," she suggested as Will skimmed the paper.

"Sounds good," he nodded, took her hand, and smiled. "They'll appreciate that."

"Yeah," she smiled back; pleased with the whole day open to whatever she wanted to do. In fact, they had no plans, barring school. Nothing they had to do. No plans at all. She took her fingernail into her teeth and worried it.

"Will?"

"Yeah?" he looked up at her again. He frowned at the look of panic and concern on her face. She'd been so happy all morning, as had he. Ever since the whole marriage issue had been cleared up with their families. Now they were free to do whatever they wanted.

"No, it's nothing. It's stupid," she shook her head, pulling her hand out from under his.

"Ann, come on," he stroked the back of her hand with his thumb. "You worried about your mom? 'Cause she'll be fine," he assured her.

"No, it's just, I was so happy that we get to make our own plans, you know? Do it however we want."

He smiled. "Me too."

"So, what do we want?"

"Excuse me?" he frowned. Weren't girls supposed to know exactly what they wanted out of their weddings, from birth on? She had been arguing for a small, private wedding for so long, he assumed she had the whole thing envisioned, down to the time and place—with details to come for him as needed.

"It's just, we have to do it all. We have to decide things, Will. I mean, I have this ring, which is lovely, and I have you, and that's good, but we have to decide when and where, and how, and," she worked herself up into a noticeable frenzy. He stood up, pulled her to her feet as well, and took her hands into his.

"Ann, calm down. Deep breaths," he encouraged, modeling the behavior for her. "Good, now what are you talking about? You want a small wedding, right?"

She let out a deep breath. "Yes. Very small. Just us."

"Alright. When should we do it?" he asked, trying to keep his tone light.

"What do you think?"

"I'm good with anything, really," he shrugged.

"It's your wedding, too!"

"Well, I know, but all I really care about is that you're there."

"So, what, I'm supposed to do it all myself?" she asked, stepping back slightly.

"Well, no, but, come on," he put his hands back on her shoulders, trying to keep her close.

"But what? Is it so hard, to ask you to pick a day?" her tone was growing annoyed, and he feared breaking the good thing they'd had earlier, with all the calm and relaxation. He really wanted that back.

"Fine. October 14th."

"October 14th?" she mimicked.

"Yep."

"Why October 14th?"

"Because you said pick a day, and that's the day that jumped to mind."

"No rhyme, no reason, no nothing?"

"You want another date?"

"I just thought, you know, we'd pick a day that's significant," she shrugged.

"Like Christmas? Afraid I'll forget otherwise?" his eyes crinkled at the edges as he held in amusement.

"Like our anniversary," she supplied.

"You're counting from the day I asked you out, or the day of our first date?"

"Oh," she frowned. "I'm not sure."

"Well, it's not that far apart. Mid to late December."

"Right," she agreed. "So, right after finals."

"Right," he agreed, running his hands up her arms. "You okay?"

"Yeah. I'm good. It's all good," she smiled as he kissed her reassuringly.

"You don't seem good. You seem … wigged out."

"We're getting married," she whispered with wide eyes.

"I know. It's big," he nodded. "But it's what we want, right?" he now sounded unsure.

She reached up and touched his cheek. "Yeah, it is. It just hasn't really sunk in yet, has it?"

He held her against him. "Let's just plan Dave's party, shall we?"

She nodded and rested her head into his strong, comforting shoulder. "Thank you."

XXXX

Ella stared at the food in front of her. She'd roamed around the dining hall, enjoying the perks of make your own pancake stations, chocolate chip muffins, and specialty omelet stations. She had a true smorgasbord happening on her tray, but as good as it all looked, it was all she could do to just stare at it. She looked around at her fellow classmates, sitting in new, hesitant groups of floor mates—clearly freshman—some more intimate-looking groups of older kids that clearly had been through experiences together the year before.

She couldn't believe that she was letting herself be this girl. She wasn't going to let Billy keep her from making new friends. And if she tried to make friends with Jane, she'd have no time to do much else. That feat seemed completely impossible. She was ready to take her food to go when she noticed a familiar looking girl come through with a tray of what looked to be hang-over food: a stack of plain pancakes and two huge bottles of water. She had a side helping of mashed potatoes, and a few biscuits. Definite alcohol soaking up food. She was dressed in and all black warm-up suit, she donned dark designer sunglasses, and her long black hair was twisted up in a knot at the back of her head, but it was definitely the Red-Rover girl from the night before. She sat down at a table of ruckus-looking boys, and sneered as one of them spoke to her. Next to the boy that made her sneer seemed to be the delivery boy from last night as well. She wondered what the chances of them knowing each other were.

She thought about introducing herself and joining them, but they seemed a tight-knit group and she really wasn't feeling up to socializing. Maybe she'd call her mother after all, get some much needed perspective and do something sensible like buy her books for the coming week. She nearly passed the table of her would-be comrades as someone called out toward her.

"Taco Girl!"

She looked up sharply, as more than just she had stopped to take notice of the outcry. She looked around before stopping near the end of the table. "Me?"

"Did I not bring you tacos?" he asked, rather concerned.

"It wouldn't be the first time he's confused girls," said the blonde seated next to him. "Don't take it personally."

"Shut up, I wouldn't confuse this creature with some other person. Look at those eyes."

"You look familiar," the girl lowered her sunglasses to reveal bloodshot eyes. "Do we know each other? Portia's Charm School?"

"The main library," Ella corrected, wondering who in this day and age attended charm schools. "Last night. You were playing Red Rover."

The girl's face screwed up in confusion. "We aren't allowed to play Red Rover anymore. Not after poor Paxy broke ribs," she scrunched her nose. "Ooh, you must have been that girl I knocked into before Grey picked me up in his car. It's a red Land Rover, I call it Red Rover," she explained, then lowered her voice, "And I'd been drinking."

"Go figure," Ella smiled. "Well, nice seeing you, um, all, I should get going."

"No!" the delivery boy stood up and pulled another chair out for her. "Stay, eat, and be merry!"

"Just don't propose, Jas," the girl warned.

"I learn only from my parent's mistakes," he bowed to her and winked. "New to Yale?" he directed his newest question to Ella.

She nodded. "Freshman. I just moved into the dorm yesterday. Hate my roommate," she nodded as she cut into her pancakes.

"Me too! Maybe we can trade, and you can live with me!" the other girl suggested, and Ella smiled at her jest. Altering your living quarters after assignments had been made was nearly impossible. You literally had to be dying to get out of those contracts.

"I wish," she groaned. "This girl is horrible. And she was flirting with my boyfriend," she said, happy to let her angst out.

"I remember you looking sad last night," the girl in black nodded.

"You have a boyfriend?" Jas asked. "I'm heartbroken. I need resuscitation. Do you know mouth to mouth?" he smiled as he leaned to her.

"Uhm, you know, I should probably go after all."

"Don't mind him, he's harmless," the other girl rolled her eyes. "So, what are you in for?"

"Excuse me?" Ella's eyes went up. This group had an odd way of exchange. The girl and guy were chatty, but the blonde and darkest headed boys were very quiet, seeming to be taking it all in. It unnerved her; particularly the blonde.

"I never ask what someone's major is, it seems so trite," the other girl mused.

"That and she feels the loom of military school," the dark headed boy spoke up. "Our Mom won't stop with insisting on our major selection. She says military school is still an option if we don't stop wasting her money on 'undeclared' partying."

"You two are related?"

"Twins," they said at the same time.

"Wow," Ella muttered under her breath. "Well, I'm here for Creative Writing."

"Not Journalism?" the blue-eyed, star-struck boy asked.

"No, God, no," she shuddered. "It's really all not that glamorous of a life. My mom is a journalist."

"A good one?"

Ella shrugged. "Yeah."

"Cool," the girl said, then checked her watch. "Oooh, we gotta go. Not to leave you in the lurch," she cringed.

"No, it's fine," she assured as they collectively gathered their things, bidding her farewell as they seemed to be arguing about what time they really had to be 'there.'

"Cheer up, Darling, I'll bring you some more tacos later," came Jas' last response as he took up the rear of their group. She smiled to herself and continued to pick at her comfort food, not quite feeling the need for it as when she'd first come into the cafeteria.


	25. Chapter 25

Title: Peer Pressure

Summary: Fourth installment in the WHW series. A Trory, of course. And, you know a billion other pairings.

Rating: T, for teen. Because there are so many of them running about.

"Are you sure they aren't here?" she whispered as he came out of the master bath.

Jess smirked as he put his ear to the bedroom door in an overly dramatic fashion. "You know, what I really need is a glass. But if I go out there to get a glass I'll see one of them, and you'll know I'm lying if I actually see one of them and come in here trying to say I didn't," he tapped his finger to his chin, "what to do?"

"Jess," Gwen warned, pulling her shoe back over to her as if she was going to need them on at any second.

"They know we have sex," he moved over to the bed, taking her shoe out of her hand and tossing it haphazardly toward his closet door.

She put her hands over her face as he slowly moved over her, causing her to have to lie back on the bed as he climbed over her. "How do you know? They haven't heard us, have they?"

"They're smart. And as skilled as I might be, they've never been home when we've had sex, so I doubt they've heard us," he grinned way too wide for her pleasure. She reached out to pinch under his arm, but he just moved closer to her.

"I still feel funny after everything that happened; shouldn't we be more careful?"

"The kids," he kissed her, "are gone," he kissed her again, "they will be gone for hours," he continued the pattern of not letting her respond, "because I gave them enough mad money to keep them gone for at least," he kissed her, despite her smiles, "five hours," he lengthened the next kiss, "and I need to be with you," he groaned as he slid one hand underneath her t-shirt, grazing her stomach, "it's been too long."

"It's only been twenty-four hours," she giggled as he kissed her neck.

"They were twenty-four agonizing hours," he imparted. "I think I might be addicted."

"There must be some sort of twelve step program," she gasped a little as his hand moved higher up her stomach.

"I've looked into it. The only thing to do is feed the need."

"I am not falling for that line, just so you're aware," she sighed happily as he came back up to kiss her properly again.

"Which line exactly are you falling for?" his smirk was lazily pasted on, ready to dissolve as the emergence of lust took over his features.

"What kind of fun would it be I told you?" she played her own game, kicking him into high gear—sweeping away both the need to talk and the concern that kids with mad money would even dream of coming home until it was all spent.

XXXX

"Gramma," Jake shook his head and moved to correct Lorelai's stance.

"I told you not to call me that in public," she hissed, putting a defiant hand on her hip as the bowling ball dangled from her fingertips of the other.

Jake rolled his eyes. "Afraid it'll scare the guys off?"

"Hey, grandmothers like free drinks, too," she reminded.

"The sage advice I'll pass on to my own grandchildren," he waxed sarcastic.

"You have some problem with the way I bowl?"

"It's granny-style," he complained.

"Eeehhh—that word again!"

"You're pushing the ball down the lane—you're not using any skill at all."

"I hit three pins last time!"

"It took you two tries," Jake sighed.

"That is so not that point," she resumed her stance, not willing to be coached.

"Fine. Look like an old woman," he said airily, moving to sit back down.

She turned around and grabbed his arm. "Show me."

He smirked.

"More and more like your father every day," she muttered as he moved her hands and demonstrated how to approach the lane with the ball. She watched him carefully, and then she mimicked each move he had done. She knocked down nine pins on her first try, turned around in a half jump spin and shrieked.

"Did you see that?"

"I did!" he nodded, smiling wide.

"I take back the father comment," she hugged him.

"And I promise never to use the G-word in public," he said as a bowling alley employee brought a pitcher of amber liquid and two glasses to their table. "Um, what is that?"

Lorelai smiled. "Near-Beer."

"Should I ask why?"

"I figured your mother would have taught you better than that, but," Lorelai shrugged.

"Because beer is manly?"

"Give the boy a prize!"

"But it's near-beer. Doesn't that make it near-manly?" he joked.

"Your mom would annihilate me if I gave you real beer. Plus the pesky law would be on my ass—oops, butt. Er, they frown on it," she fumbled for grandson appropriate speak.

"Right," he took a sip and spit it back in the cup.

"What?" she asked, sniffing her own glass of the liquid.

"It's also nearly disgusting," he spit more into the cup.

"You're just not used to the taste of beer, or at least, that's what I'll tell myself," she said as she took a sip. "Ugh," she spit hers back into her cup as well. "Never mind. That's disgusting."

"Can we just order root beer floats and get on with it?"

"That depends."

"On?"

"Will you tell me something that will ease my mind as to your mental state, so I can tell your mom to stop worrying?"

He sighed. "Or else you'll make me drink that crap?"

Lorelai nodded. "It's nice to have bargaining tools. Let that be what I pass on to you and your grandchildren," she smiled.

Jake sighed. "Fine."

Lorelai waved down a server and rectified the beverage situation. When the foul-tasting pitcher was removed, she moved to take her pick-up. She completely missed the remaining pin, but was satisfied with the leap her score made.

Jake took his turn, and the treats were waiting on him when he returned to sit next to Lorelai. They both took a refreshing sip and she nudged him. "So, what's up, kid?"

"I don't know. Did you ever feel trapped by familiarity?"

"Hoo-boy," she let out a breath. "I think I can relate."

"I don't know. It just feels like I have this label, and no matter what I do to change it, nothing will ever alter how people see me."

"At school?"

Jake shrugged. "Not just at school, but I guess it's a big part of it."

"You could talk to your parents about transferring," she offered. "Your mom did it, and it wasn't too bad for her."

Jake shrugged. "Mom's was different. I'm in the best school in the city. They'd never let me transfer."

"You never know, they aren't completely unreasonable people," she smiled. "Just talk to them."

Jake nodded and took another drink. "I guess. And don't go repeating this, but it's weird to think of life with Ella at Yale."

Lorelai smiled. "I knew you'd miss her."

"I never said miss," he was quick to correct her.

"Right. Well, I guess it's my turn, huh?" she stood up and reverted back to her granny-bowl stance. Jake just shook his head and spooned up some soda-soaked ice cream.

XXXX

"That was the most amazing meal I've ever had," Rory rubbed her stomach as they walked along the sidewalk.

"It was a ham and cheese melt," Tristan looked at her oddly.

"Mmm," she nodded.

"How hungry were you?"

"Famished," she admitted. "But it was still really good!"

"I've said it before, I'll say it again—you've got such a refined palate," he laughed at her.

"Don't make me bring up the pork rinds," she warned.

"I was starving!"

"That is so not an excuse!" she tossed back.

"You saw my other option! It was your fault I was there anyhow!" he reminded.

She giggled. "Lane and the boys were really strapped for cash back then," she acknowledged. "I'm pretty sure the pork rinds were a Zack purchase."

"And pickled beets are not an option."

"A Mrs. Kim addition," Rory nodded. "I'm pretty sure they left those in the apartment when they moved out."

Tristan shuddered. "If you would have just let us go to Luke's," he said, clearly not over the offense.

"We were catching up on girl talk!"

"Uh-huh," he nodded, putting his arm around her. "You just can't complain about my consumption when you're to blame for my limited options in the first place."

"You gonna blame global warming on me, too?" she joked.

"No. You never use hairspray," he consented.

"Not unless forced," she nodded.

"So, what's next on the agenda?" he changed the topic.

"Well, we could hit some more shops," she offered, to which he winced. "Or I guess we could go back to the house," she said slowly.

"I like the house," he smiled. "It's nice and secluded at the house."

"I like the house too," she nodded. "A very wise investment. The perfect vacation spot—far enough away from home, but not too far of a drive," she sighed happily.

"But even if it was a farther drive, or you'd have to fly even, it's still a good investment."

"I guess," she shrugged. "But it's perfect how it is now. The best of both worlds," she kissed his cheek.

"It's not completely perfect," he said, playing devil's advocate.

"And the flaws are?"

"That rest stop off of 95 is really degrading. They don't carry Mallowmars anymore," he pointed out.

"There's a reason to sell the house," she giggled.

"I'm just saying, our lives aren't perfect. Take our house for example," he began.

"Our house, in New York?" her brow furrowed.

"Yeah. It's gonna be way too big soon."

"Too big?" she asked as if she were considering the notion for the first time in her life.

"Well, Ella's gone, and Jake will be gone soon enough."

"They'll be in college, not moved away for good," she argued.

"Still. It'll just be us, knocking around in an empty house. We don't need all that space anymore."

"You want to move?" she asked, incredulous.

"I'm just saying," he shrugged.

"You're going through a lot of trouble to just say," she probed. She felt a shiver go up her back as she looked at him. "What aren't you telling me?"

He sighed and scratched the back of his head. He made eye contact with her and she stopped cold in her tracks.

"What?"

"I need to tell you something," he grimaced.

"What?" she repeated, still not moving.

"Let's get back to the house," he put his hand in the small of her back, ready to steer her back toward the house.

"No, tell me right now," she said, "Come on, you're freaking me out," she pleaded.

"It's not bad," he assured her, putting his hands on her waist. "I promise. The more I think about it, the better it might be," he let out a breath as her look of impatience grew.

"Tristan," she warned.

"I got my promotion," he said quickly, to which her face lit up, "but there was a misunderstanding as to what all my promotion entailed," he said, causing her face to fall.

"What do you mean by misunderstanding?" she raised an eyebrow.

"They want me to chose which office to man," he said, wishing to God they were anywhere but out on a main street with people and cars going past them while he imparted this news to her.

"Like uptown or midtown?" she led.

"Like Raleigh or Boston."

She had no audible response. He could tell that his words had more than washed over her—but she seemed to look through him instead of at him as his words resonated with her.

"Rory?" he asked, leaning down to catch her gaze.

"I … can't be here right now," she said, shaking her head as she moved to the curb and hailed a cab.

"Rory! What the hell are you doing?"

"I can't believe you knew about this and you didn't tell me," she said as a cab slowed to a stop beside her.

"I'm telling you now—I just found out last night," he sighed. "I had to let it sink in," he told her honestly. "Where are you going?"

"To let it sink in," she said as she got in the cab and directed the driver away from Martha's Vineyard.

XXXX

Ella sighed as Jane moved around the suite, asking her more questions. Questions about questions. She turned up the volume on the television, to which Jane hit mute and stood in front of the screen.

"But is it too childish?" she asked, clearly annoyed with her inattention.

"It's a poster of Albert Einstein," Ella sighed.

"But it's the theory of relativity. It's so basic," she frowned.

"So?"

"So, is it too childish?" she reiterated.

"I can't live like this," Ella looked at her dead on.

"Why won't you answer me?"

"Put it up, don't put it up, what do I care? It's your room!"

"Ella, you said yourself, we're supposed to be girlfriends now! I haven't asked you about Billy once since you got back from breakfast!"

"And I'm eternally grateful," Ella rolled her eyes, having seen the effort on the girl's face as she moved about the suite when she got home in a much better mood than when she'd left. A knock came to the door, and she was grateful to have something else to do. Anything else to do. She'd even be satisfied to see Billy, though she didn't really want to see him just yet.

"Can I help you?" she asked as a man with a clipboard and a badge that read 'Campus Movers' stood in front of her.

"Sign here," he instructed, holding a pen out to her.

"What is this?" she took the pen and stared at the paper.

"Says you won't sue if we drop a lamp or you can't find your lucky socks after the move," he said without emotion.

"I don't have lucky socks, but if I did, why would they be moving?" she asked.

"Just sign," he sighed.

She did as he asked, and he nodded. "I assume you're … Ella?" he peered at a sheet under the wavier.

"Um, I'm sorry, but what is--," she was cut off by a familiar boy with a bag of her favorite tacos came strolling in beside the hired labor.

"This her?"

"That is her," Jas nodded.

"What is going on?" she asked him.

"Didn't Rosa come by?" he asked.

"Who?" she asked, completely confused.

"I'm sorry!" came the voice attached to the blur of black hair that came flying into the room. She came to a stop and held up her hands. It was Red Rover girl. "I can't miss my appointment, or my nails will go to hell. I'm Rosa," she smiled.

"Rosalia," Jas corrected.

"Okay, look," Ella put her own hands up to pause the action.

"Who are these people?" Jane asked, coming to the growing group of people.

"And I'm Jasper Wellington," he bowed. "Bringer of tacos."

"Your father would be appalled at your chosen title," Rosa snickered.

"At least my title isn't mandatory to protect the public health," he snarked back.

"Am I interrupting something?" Ella asked.

"And your name, darling? I never did catch your name. I know it would have stuck," he smiled brilliantly.

"I'm Ella," she began.

"Ella Dugrey," Rosa nodded. "Soon to be my new roomie!" she nodded.

"I don't understand," Ella frowned.

"I thought we agreed!" Rosa looked at her with an air of disappointment. "Don't you remember?"

"You're moving out!" Jane erupted. "We were just starting to bond!"

"Okay, look, I don't think it's possible for me to even move," Ella's head was spinning.

"It's all okayed by the Dean of Students," Rosa waived a hand. "Which room is yours?"

Ella pointed and the mover was joined by a co-worker and they went about moving her belongings out of the suite. She watched as Jasper set up camp at their coffee table and opened up the contents of bag. "Taco?"

"I definitely need to sit down," Ella sat down beside him.

"How can you move out? My mother told me it was important to socialize, and I've put time into doing that with you! I'll lose my time!" Jane stomped over to her. "And I don't want your boyfriend!"

"I don't want you to have a boyfriend," Jasper said to Ella as he handed each girl a taco.

Ella blushed at his outright flirtation. "Can we not talk about my boyfriend? How is it that I'm moving?"

"I made a few calls," Rosa shrugged as she considered her hard-shell taco and her still drying manicure. "I need a fork," she frowned. Jasper reached into the bag for a plastic fork and handed it over.

"I love it when you do that," she kissed his cheek.

"I'm sorry, can we get back to the moving thing? You have to be dying to get out of your room assignment."

"Or pregnant," Jane said. "Ohmigod! You're pregnant?"

Ella rolled her eyes. "On second thought, I'm not going to ask anymore questions," she took a satisfying bite of her taco as the chaos continued around her.


	26. Chapter 26

Title: Peer Pressure

Summary: Fourth installment in the WHW series. A Trory, of course. And, you know a billion other pairings.

Rating: T, for teen. Because there are so many of them running about.

Tristan had watched her cab disappear around the corner, knowing it was of no use to grab a cab and go after her. His wife wasn't known for coming off the deep end within moments of taking the initial plunge, especially when he was the one to provoke her freak out. He also knew that he was the last person she wanted to hear from right this very second. Perhaps one of the reasons that their marriage worked so well was that his pride kept him from going to her right away, at times that she would be tempted to threaten to punish him with death or worse, divorce.

However his pride that kept him from following her didn't stop him from pulling out his phone on his angry walk back to the car and dialing her number, hoping against hope that she would be too blinded by rage to have turned her phone off or checking her caller ID before answering.

He had no such luck.

He waited until her voicemail picked up, it having him wait through four rings—signaling to him that her phone was on and she was actively ignoring him. He let out a grimaced groan, slipped behind the wheel of his car, and leaned his head against the head rest.

"I can only assume that if you're listening to this, you've calmed to the point of listening to reason. Nothing has been decided yet. I need to talk to you. Call me, please," he said, snapping the phone shut and tossing it against the seat that Rory should be sitting in right this very second. He ran over the events of the last ten minutes, wondering if there was anything he could have done, anything in his power, to have changed this outcome.

He just couldn't bring himself to see where he was in the wrong here. She was mad at him, that much was clear, but it wasn't as if he'd gone for this promotion specifically hoping to uproot their family. He hadn't even had time to decide if he would have gone for the promotion, had he known the consequences. It wasn't as if he liked the idea of pulling his child out of school, taking his wife away from her job—not that he could honestly say he'd mind moving back down to North Carolina. She had probably jumped to the assumption this was what this was about—it was no secret that he enjoyed the time he spent down there in his youth. But for her to jump to such conclusions, with them having had no conversations whatsoever about ever moving from their home in any real sense, that she thought he would do such a thing purposefully—his anger level was on the rise now.

He looked at his phone and picked it up. He let out a warm breath and grabbled for rational thought. He wanted to reach her before this got too far out of hand, even if it was just to yell at each other until there was nothing left to yell about. Surely he could yell louder and make her see the truth of the situation—the sheer misunderstanding that had set this whole episode off. There were only two places she would go right now—two people from whom she would seek comfort. He flipped open his phone and dialed the lesser of the two evils.

"Daddy?" Ella's voice came over the line. There was loud music playing in the background and she seemed to be struggling to hear his end of the line.

"Ella? Where are you, a party?"

"No, just hanging out in my room," she half-shouted. "Is this Mom's way of checking up on me without checking up on me?"

She obviously hadn't contacted her. "You always did see right through her. So, how is it going?"

"It's going weird," she said decidedly. "But possibly a good weird."

"So, Jane isn't cramping your style too much?" he laughed.

"Definitely not a problem," she yelled.

"Okay. We're here, if you should need anything."

"Are you okay, Dad? 'Cause really, I'm fine."

"I'm fine."

"Doesn't Mom want to talk to me?"

Tristan was quiet. He needed to say something, not a total lie, just an obstruction of truth, to get her off the phone. He had other calls to make.

"Daddy?"

"Your Mom isn't here right now."

"What'd you do?"

"Nothing!" he protested.

"Are you two fighting?"

"We didn't have a fight. We had a misunderstanding."

"Oh, I get it. You were looking for Mom, not checking up on me," the realization was clearly dawning over her.

"Els, really, this isn't a big deal. I was just seeing what you were up to, seeing how you were liking it so far, so when I talk to your mother," he began.

"If you talk to Mom," Ella corrected.

"Just, tell her to call me, if you talk to her?" he asked.

"Sure thing. Hey, Dad?"

"Yeah?" he wiped one hand slowly down his face.

"She'll call. You've never done anything truly heinous."

"I appreciate that," he smiled softly as they bid each other goodbye and the line went dead. He thought for a moment of calling his mother-in-law, who would see through him even faster than his daughter had, then had a saving grace of a thought. His son would know if Rory had any contact with Lorelai. And he could easily wield this information without the third-degree treatment he'd get from his mother-in-law.

"Hey, Dad," came his son's genial voice.

"Hey, how's the vacation?"

"Not bad, hang on, will you?" he asked then Tristan heard some muffled instructions. "Sorry. What's up?"

"Where are you?"

"The bowling alley in Woodbridge."

"What, with Luke?"

"No, Gramma," he said, "Oh, crap, sorry!" he called out, seemingly to Lorelai. "How's your vacation?"

"Fine, fine. Just calling to check in on you. Anything interesting happening there?"

"I was forced to drink near-beer, and escaped during the great wedding debate of the century that was dinner last night."

"So, you snuck out?"

"Yeah, but in Stars Hollow. It's not like we really went crazy and went to Hartford," Jake teased.

"There is enough trouble to be had in Hartford, trust me," Tristan mused.

"Oh, I've heard all about it, from Mom," he said. "You have no secrets."

"Remind me to thank her later," Tristan groaned.

"Can't you do it now?"

"Uh, not just this second," Tristan coughed.

"Because she's in the bathroom or because she's not speaking to you?"

"What is it with my children jumping to the conclusion that she would not want to speak to me?"

"Because when you piss her off, she tends to bolt," Jake said matter-of-factly.

"Can you be quieter around your grandmother when talking about my misgivings?"

"Sorry. Should we have some sort of code for this stuff?"

"Can you just ask her to call me if you talk to her?"

"What exactly did you do?"

"Is Lorelai standing right there?"

"Yes."

"Does she look extremely amused?"

"Yep."

"I'm gonna just go with the safe 'I'll tell you when you're 21,'" Tristan said.

"We're gonna be sitting in a bar for days," Jake laughed.

"That we are," he agreed.

He was out of ideas. He obviously wasn't going to be able to cut her off at the pass. He needed someone to talk to her, someone on his side to help him out. Someone she wouldn't refuse to see on principle.

Jess.

XXXX

Gwen poked Jess with his cell phone. It had begun vibrating on his nightstand, and he had dozed off in the warm haze of limbs and the muggy air that wafted into his open windows. It had been cooler this morning, giving the city a break from near-constant air conditioning of the sweltering summer. Fall was fighting its way in, but hadn't taken hold yet. The breezes were still of the warm variety, if not beginning to be refreshing.

"Mmm," he began to be roused out of his sleep. He opened one eye to find her pressing the vibrating object into his skin.

"That's not how the whole vibrator thing works," his thick voice managed.

"It could be one of the kids," she thrust it at him again, at the ready to find her clothes.

"Crazy woman," he turned pulled her against his torso as he answered his phone, to prevent her from fleeing while his attention was drawn elsewhere. "Hello?"

"I need your help," Tristan's uneven voice began.

"What'd you do?"

"It's kind of a long story," he sighed.

"Look, I've got a lot going on here, so unless you can convince me that my services are actually needed," Jess said rather unaffectedly.

"I told Rory that I have to move us to either Boston or Raleigh, and she got in a cab and left."

"You what?" Jess sat straight up in bed, causing Gwen to sit up on her knees, drawing the sheet up around her body as she put her hand on his shoulder for support.

"Calm down, I need you on my side," Tristan explained.

"On your side? Which is what exactly?"

"I went out for this promotion, and I got it, I just didn't know it involved the move. But I can't turn it down, and Rory will have no trouble getting another job," Tristan explained.

"What about Jake?"

"I didn't say I had this all figured out, I just found out last night. What I need to do is talk to Rory about this, rationally," he said.

"Good luck with that," Jess said sarcastically.

"That's why I'm calling you. I need you to talk her down," he stated.

"You have got to be kidding. She's got to be more pissed than she's ever been, and you want me to be the one to take your hits?"

"I just need her calm. Willing to talk about this."

Jess let out a sigh. "Where is she?"

"I figure either Stars Hollow or New Haven," Tristan said. "I'm going to Stars Hollow, to get Jake, she probably realizes that, so I'm willing to bet she went to Ella. She's been concerned about her transitioning in a new place, and she wants to be with someone she can relate to I'm sure."

"So, you want me to go to New Haven?"

"I wouldn't ask, if I saw another way."

"I know. I'll do it," Jess agreed, easing his mind, if only a little bit. Tristan thanked him, told him to call his cell at anytime day or night when Rory was ready to talk, and he hoped to talk to him soon.

Jess looked to Gwen and cringed. "Is there anyway you would agree to staying here with the kids while I head to New Haven?"

Her mouth dropped open slightly in response.

XXXX

"This is already so much better," Rosa propped her feet up on a pillow at the end of the couch. "And to think you were against it," she tsked.

Ella curled up in the overstuffed armchair in her favorite pajamas and smiled. "I didn't think you were serious, that's all. I have no real complaints. I mean, I'm away from that nutcase, and while you have some very odd people in your life, you seem relatively normal."

"You mean Jasper?" Rosa giggled. "He's not crazy, he just knows what he wants and has no qualms about discussing his whims with the general public."

"He doesn't really want to date me, he's just being funny, right?"

"Oh, no. He wants to date you," Rosa took a drink of soda. "So, what is the deal with this boyfriend of yours anyhow?"

Ella shrugged and looked down at her hands. She had been clicking her fingernails against each other nervously. "I don't know. We had a fight last night, and I haven't heard from him since. We've been fighting more lately."

"I have a theory, want to hear it?" Rosa sat up straighter in her seat.

"Sure, why not?" Ella nodded.

"We are too young to put up with all the drama that comes with adult relationships. As soon as it ceases being fun, cut your losses," she imparted.

"It's not that easy," Ella shook her head.

"It is!"

"No, he's my first real boyfriend, and the whole point of having a boyfriend is learning not to bail when you have one measly fight," she argued.

"First of all, I contend that there is nothing wrong with not keeping a serious boyfriend," Rosa started.

"I agree, but I spent all of high school just dating tons of guys. I'm in college now," she said.

"Exactly. In college, with way more interesting guys surrounding you. Why tie yourself down now, just when it's getting good?"

Ella gave her a defeated look. Rosa smiled.

"I love being right."

"The point is, I'm still not sure what to do."

"Well, I'm sure that I can safely speak for Jas when I say that he is more than willing to be there for you, to help ease your transition back into the dating world," Rosa giggled. "And I will take you to a gay bar, to show you the joys of being a single gal in this world."

"Gay bars? Aren't we too young to get into bars?"

Rosa smiled. "Stick with me, kid. It'll be a fun year," she smiled.

"An interesting one, at least, I'm sure," she nodded as Rosa flipped the television on. They watched various programs for the duration of the next hour, chatting randomly, giggling, making popcorn, and having a rather easy first night together. When a knock came to the door, Rosa jumped up to answer it, saying it must be one of the boys, having forgotten their keys.

"Excuse me, did you say they have their own keys?" Ella craned around in her chair to get a good view of her roommate.

"Can I help you?" Rosa asked the person at the door, clearly not one of the boys.

"I'm looking for my daughter," came Rory's voice as she moved into the main room. Ella jumped up and moved to hug her mother, but Rory held her at arm's length.

"How could you not tell me?" Rory erupted.

"What?"

"Ella, this is life-changing, not something you can, or should even feel that you need, to hide," Rory pushed some stray hair off her daughter's face, looking very nostalgic and concerned.

"What is life-changing? Does this have to do with the fight you had with Dad?"

"You know about that?"

"He called, looking for you."

"I'm not discussing your father. This is about you, and your situation," she lowered her voice.

"You're upset that I moved? It just happened, and I figured with you and Dad fighting, I didn't want to stress you out more, it's not a big deal!"

"I'm talking about the baby!" Rory said, clearly beyond flustered.

"You're pregnant?" Ella's jaw dropped.

"Not me, you!"

Rosa stifled a giggle. Ella and Rory both shot her a death glare. "I'm sorry, but you talked to her socially challenged assigned roommate, right?"

"Well, yeah," Rory said, looking at Rosa, then her daughter and back again.

"Mom, Jane is having trouble coming to grips that my not wanting to live with her has anything to do with her."

"Which means you're not pregnant too, right? She seemed to think that you two had met at the free clinic in New Haven yesterday, bonding over your situation," Rory filled in the blanks of how she'd been led from Ella's original room to her new digs.

"We met at the library," Ella said. "I didn't plan on moving, but Rosa has connections that she still hasn't filled me in on, and we swapped our annoying roommates for each other."

"Oh, I just had my dad make a call. It wasn't a big deal," Rosa said. "Should I leave you two alone?"

Ella nodded. "We'll go in my room. You staying the night?" she looked to her mother.

"I don't want to cramp your style, but your couch looks comfy," she smiled.

"I'll get some extra sheets, come on," she nodded toward her room, and Rosa moved to get supplies for what was promising to be a long night from her room.

Ella turned to open her closet door to pull down a warm blanket and fresh sheets. "So, what was the fight about?"

"Your father didn't tell you?"

"Nope. Just told me to tell you to call him. You want to?" she handed her mother the sheets and moved to grab a pillow from her bed.

"No. I mean, not right now. I just want to get some rest, actually."

"Mom, I'm not a little kid. I can handle hearing about your fights with Dad."

"I know, honey," she smiled softly. "I appreciate that. I just don't feel like talking about it. Tell me about all the excitement of your first two days. I mean, I know you've already ditched Jane and moved, but I don't know the details."

"I don't really wanna talk about that yet, either. Maybe we could just watch a movie and go to bed early?"

Rory put her arm around her daughter's shoulders. "Good idea, kid. Good idea."

XXXX

Jess dialed Ella's cell phone, to get her to escort him in, not wanting to look like a creepy middle-aged man roaming about a girl's dorm floor at night. The thought that he might just be taken for a father of a college kid or a professor just unnerved him and he concentrated on ways Tristan owed him for this. Leaving Gwen had involved lots of sweet talking and convincing, but ultimately she'd wanted to help him out, knowing he was too responsible to leave even his teenaged kids for a night alone in the city. He was more comfortable with her there, and so he'd left her there to wait for the kids' return alone.

The ways in which Tristan owed him.

"Uncle Jess?" Ella yawned.

"Is your mom there?"

"Yeah. You wanna talk to her?"

"I'm actually downstairs. Can you come get me? I need to talk to her."

"Dad sent you?"

"You got it."

"I'll be right down."

Ella shut her phone and crept out into the main room. The remnants of the game of Monopoly she had played with her mother and Rosa after watching not one, but two movies and being too wound up with the events of the day to sleep were still on the floor, and she was careful to both not trip on them nor wake her sleeping mother as she moved out past the couch to the door. She eased it open and hurried down to get Jess. He was leaning against his car and seemed to be stubbing out a cigarette with his shoe when she approached him.

"Girl trouble?"

"Well, your father does have impeccable timing," Jess sighed. "I'll be fine. How's your mom?"

Ella shrugged. "She won't say what happened. Did Dad tell you?"

Jess hesitated. Tristan had failed to mention if he'd let on to the kids as to what had tipped their mother off. He shrugged. "Dunno. Just that she was pissed, and he needed to talk to her."

"So you got the dirty work," she nodded. "She's sleeping, come on, follow me."

XXXX

Jess took the edge of the blanket that covered Rory's body and lifted it up in the air, exposing her body to the night air that he could feel coming in from the open window above her. She shifted in her sleep, closer to the edge of the warm blanket. He suppressed a laugh, and held more of the blanket off of her body. By the time he had lifted the whole thing off of her, she shifted over onto her other side suddenly, rather violently, and reached out to just air.

"Tristan," she called out in an annoyed whine.

Jess hesitated for a moment, waiting for her to open her eyes. When she did, she sat up suddenly and snatched the blanket out of his loose grip.

"What are you doing here?" she whispered loudly.

"It's a college campus, where better to meet college girls?" he sat on the coffee table in front of her.

"He sent you."

Jess nodded. "Wanna talk about it?"

Rory shook her head. "No."

"Fine," he shrugged. "Wanna watch a movie?"

She frowned. "Excuse me?"

"Well, we're here, and I'm not allowed to leave until you talk about it, so until you feel like talking," he said, picking up the remote.

"Are you insane? There are two girls that live here, trying to sleep!"

"Hey, it's your decision."

"Fine, we'll talk. How can you be here?"

"Gwen's staying with the kids."

"You left Ambrose in the same apartment with Gwen? You think she'll still be there when you get back?"

"Depends on how long you make me wait here," he shrugged. "You tell Ella yet?"

Rory looked down. "No. I am not ready to talk about it, with anyone."

"Not even me? Because I gotta tell you, I'm not exactly liking the notion myself."

"I thought you were on his side," she looked at him in the darkness. "I mean, you came all the way up here for him, right?"

Jess nodded. "Well, he told me what happened. You had to be upset, and contrary to popular belief, I don't like it when you're upset."

She smiled sadly. "He knew, and he didn't tell me. He hasn't thought about what it would do to anyone but himself," she shook her head.

"You know that isn't true."

"Well, he sure didn't seem to have. He just blurted it out, like he was asking me to call to change his dentist appointment."

"Huh?"

She shrugged. "It's just an example."

"Rory, just talk to him. He says he hasn't made any decisions. You know you're gonna talk to him sometime anyhow. Do it now, put everyone out of this misery."

She sniffed. "He's in misery?"

Jess nodded. "He is."

"Good," she crossed her arms.

"Rory," he sighed. "I know you don't want him to be miserable."

She just looked up at him silently, her arms still crossed.

"You called out for him in your sleep, a second before you woke up. You love him, and I know it's killing you not to talk to him. I'm sure he could be here in record time. All you have to do is say the word."

She shook her head.

"Rory, come on," he pleaded.

"I'm not ready, Jess! Why can't he get that? This isn't a stupid fight we've had, this is a major life change he expects me to make at the drop of the hat, with no warning. I need time," she let out a sigh. "So, put a movie in."

Jess nodded, did as instructed, and settled down next to her with his arm around her shoulders as she covered them up neatly with the blanket.

XXXX

Gwen stood up off the couch when the front door opened, hoping against hopes that Jess had worked a miracle and was beating his children home. Releasing her. Making her not face the very sheepish-looking boy that was entering his own home, as if he was walking over a bed of eggshells.

Jules stepped in front of her brother, throwing her jacket over the back of the couch. "Gwen, hey!"

"Hey, Jules, Ambrose," she nodded.

"Where's Dad? Getting dinner?"

"Um, no, didn't you guys eat earlier?"

Jules nodded. "We did. But sometimes Dad gets side-tracked and he forgets to. You know, when he's writing, or whatever," she grinned knowingly.

"Right. Well," she coughed. "He was called away and so he asked me to stay here with you guys, until he returns."

"When?" Ambrose asked.

"He wasn't sure."

"Where is he?" Jules asked.

"He went to New Haven."

"For Ella?"

"For Rory," she nodded. "So, uh, Jules, can you give us a sec?"

Jules gave her brother a knowing look. She bit her lip to hide a smile and headed toward her bedroom.

"Look, Gwen," Ambrose stepped up with his hands raised in peace. "About what happened," he began.

"How about I talk, and you listen?" she said, pointing to him to sit down on the chair at her side.

He nodded and did as she sat down across from him. "Look, I've been thinking about this, and I thought even though it would be awkward, if not for you, certainly for me, that we should just talk about this, get it over with, deal?"

He nodded.

"Okay. So, I admit, I don't know what it's like to be in your situation. I can only imagine all the things you and Jules are going through. I know a bit of what your dad is going through. I've tried to be there for him, to be supportive of what he needs, not what I need for him. I'd like to think that you and Jules have noticed that, that you'd be open with us if our relationship was bothering you. You're both very mature and opinionated," she smiled, as did he. "But after what you said to your mother, even if your father is right, and you were just trying to upset her, I have to know," she took a deep breath. "Are you okay with my dating your father?"

"Of course," he nodded. "We like you, we really do. But no matter how much we like you," he looked down.

"It doesn't erase anything that's happened in the past. I don't want to replace your mom, Ambrose, no matter if your relationship is good or bad with her. I want to be in your dad's life, in whatever capacity we decide is best for us, but I want you guys to know that if you let me, I'd like to get to know you too."

He nodded. "I am sorry. I didn't mean to get you involved, it was just—it was what I knew would bug Mom the most. What she did, I don't think she deserves to have things sugar-coated, thinking that things here are just laying in wait for when she decides she made a mistake."

Gwen smiled. She could practically hear him saying he knew that day would come. She just nodded. "I get that. So, we're good?"

He nodded. "Does this mean that maybe you could get Dad to ease up on my punishment?"

Gwen smiled. "Did he punish you because of me?"

"Well, not technically," he cringed. "I just need a day off the grounding. There's this party I kind of already told someone I'd be at," he led.

"Maybe he'd consider time off for good behavior," she suggested.

"Maybe you don't know him as well as we thought," Ambrose smiled and retreated back to his room as well. Gwen settled back against the pillows and let out a long sigh. She really wished he'd come home.


	27. Chapter 27

Title: Peer Pressure

Summary: Fourth installment in the WHW series. A Trory, of course. And, you know a billion other pairings.

Rating: T, for teen. Because there are so many of them running about.

AN: Thanks to all of you who are reading and saying such nice things. I know I've been inconsistent in updating, but I've been in a tizzy of updates for this story, huh? I've been feeling the good fluffy feelings. I need them, as life is a bit chaotic right now. The fluff calms me. Hope it calms all of you. Just had to stop in, and say thanks to all of you—esp K, who this story wouldn't exist if not for your prodding and brainstorming. (kisses) ok, I'm done. Go read.

Will woke up alone in his bed, feeling the cool sheets out on what had become the other side of the bed. Anna's side of the bed. Before she'd moved in, he tended to drift out into the middle of the bed, not favoring one side or the other, but his body had quickly acclimated to accommodating her. He lifted his head off the pillows, looked around to see if she was in the near vicinity, and let his head fall back down when he could see nor hear any sign of her. The idea of going back to sleep occurred to him, as he didn't exactly have to be up at the given time, but before he could drift back off to sleep, she came back into the bedroom. She wasn't quiet about it, either, and he wondered if she somehow knew he was awake, or if she just wanted him that way. She sat down on his side of the bed, making him scoot closer to the middle to allow her to sit comfortably.

"You're still in bed?"

"Why aren't you?"

She grinned. "I've been party planning. Get up."

"I would, but see, this is my last day of summer vacation. Ever."

"So?"

"So, I have a tradition on the last day of summer vacation. And it all begins with not getting out of bed before noon. Not for anything. Anything that I do has to be brought to me in such a manner that my feet don't have to hit the floor, or I just don't do it."

Anna smiled and handed him the papers she'd walked in with. "Good thing I came prepared."

Will sighed. "And this is?"

"Menus, guest lists, etc.," she answered.

"Wedding?" he yawned.

"Davey's party. It'll be impromptu, but I think we can throw together a pretty impressive showing of support. You know, make it looked like we thought of this way beforehand."

"Did we miss Davey?" Will smirked.

Anna giggled. "Well, we know they didn't miss us. If they were doing everything right."

"How about we don't miss anyone for the next couple of hours?" Will grabbed her round the waist and pulled her onto his torso. She giggled more and squealed as she attempted protest.

"Stop it! You'll rip the papers!"

He kissed her, clearly not caring as the papers escaped his hands and floated down to the floor. "Your mom will create a feast of finger foods in an hour's time, and we'll just call everyone we know," he said as he managed to throw back the covers long enough to cover her with them. "How's that for decisive?"

"But I need to make calls," she put her finger to his lips, which he kissed. "Will," she sighed happily.

"Two hours."

"I'll give you ten minutes," she shook her head.

"If you give me ten minutes, we'll be in here for two hours," he said plaintively. "Don't play like you know otherwise."

"When you're right, you're right," she breathed as he slid his hands down to the hem of her shirt, placing carefully time kisses over her neck until such time as he lifted the fabric up past the point of his lips. Once he discarded the item onto the floor atop the papers, he tickled her sides, causing her to squirm down lower on his body, not quite out of his reach, but rubbing against him to the point of distracting him away from his task.

XXXX

Ella came out into the main room of her suite, seeing her mother passed out on her godfather's shoulder, both sitting nearly upright on the couch. Jess' head was leaning against the back of the couch, and he was lightly snoring. She smiled and moved to cover them more properly with a blanket when the front door opened to reveal a fully dressed and slightly mussed Rosa entering back in.

"Hey," she whispered. "Where've you been?"

"Just out and about, is that your dad?" she motioned to the couch.

"My godfather. And you're just getting in?"

"My mother doesn't ask this many questions," Rosa informed her. "I would have invited you along, but with all the family drama you have going on, I figured you wouldn't want to."

Ella just nodded. She wondered where exactly her roommate had been all night, and if it were a regular occurrence. She assumed she was soon to find out.

"I'm gonna grab a shower, okay?"

Ella nodded. "Sorry about all this—I'm sure my dad will show up soon and they'll all go home. I'm not sure exactly what's going on," she promised.

"Hey no worries. If you want drama, wait until all our parents come for Parent's Day. This place will be hopping at all hours."

"Do you guys ever sleep?" Ella smiled.

"No rest for the wicked," Rosa winked and shut the door to her room to change into her robe.

XXXX

Tristan came into the diner with dark circles under his eyes and today's issue of the _New York Times_ under his arm. Luke looked up and nodded, holding in the grunt he might usually offer. Tristan sat down at the spot at the counter where Luke was already pouring a cup of coffee for him.

"Rough night?"

"How much does Lorelai know?"

"Just that you don't know where Rory is. That seemed to be enough."

Tristan nodded. "Any chance I can get my kid without having to hear about it?"

"You want the odds?" Luke raised his eyebrows.

Tristan put his head in his hands. "Maybe just an omelet and a side of bacon."

"Coming right up," Luke turned and went into the kitchen, leaving Tristan to open the paper and start pouring over the contents. He skimmed over Rory's column, as usual, to see that the rerun column they had chosen as she'd taken the last week off of work. He kept skimming, looking for something to catch his eye.

"Looking in the singles section? Get a new wife, maybe one that likes talking to you?"

He didn't turn as his mother-in-law came up to sit beside him, peering over his shoulder.

"Shouldn't you be watching my son?"

"I know where he is. Can you say the same about my daughter?"

"She's in New Haven."

"And why, pray tell, is she in New Haven, instead of on the vacation you two were supposed to take?"

"We took it. We just didn't stay long."

"I see that," she said, not moving away from him. Luke came, gave her a look, to which she stared back, set Tristan's food down, and shook his head as he walked away. Lorelai grabbed a piece of bacon off of his plate and took a bite.

"Excuse me," he looked at her.

"What?"

"That's mine."

"So? You took my daughter from me twenty years ago, I can't have one tiny piece of bacon?"

"Eat whatever you want. I should get going anyhow."

"To go see Rory? Do you think that's wise, considering?"

"Considering what?" he tilted his head to look at her.

"How about you tell me what you did, and I'll tell you how long to wait?"

"I've been married for nearly twenty years to this woman," he informed her.

"And look at how well it's turning out for you," she said.

"Lorelai, just let me handle this will you?"

She raised her hands, now bacon-free. "Fine. Do it your way. I'll just see you when you drop the kids off, you know, for holidays and such."

He glared at her. "You're trying to get rid of me now?"

"No, I want to help, but in order for me to help, you have to tell me what you did to make her mad."

"I need to talk to her before we discuss what's going on with anyone else."

Lorelai frowned. "I don't get it. But in lieu of details, I'd say just go to her. She does to seem to like you, no matter what you've done in the past. She never has been able to stay mad at you. You know, for what it's worth."

He nodded and folded his paper. "Thank Luke for me?"

"I will. And I'll watch Jake until you both come back for him. Whenever that is."

He nodded and moved forward to hug her. "Thanks."

XXXX

Rory peeled her head off of the warm shoulder she'd rested on over the course of the last few hours—since sometime during the movie that she hadn't had enough energy to get through. Jess stirred at the lack of weight resting on him and sat up, blinking the sleep out of his eyes.

"Morning," he said.

"Morning," she returned. "Did we really fall asleep?"

"That we did. Can you leave that part out of the story when you tell Tristan how I got you to talk to him?"

Rory smiled. "Don't pretend like you didn't enjoy every last moment of it," she smirked.

"Yeah, it just took me twenty five years to get you to sleep with me," he snorted before looking at her in seriousness. "You know, you're running out of time."

"I know. I just can't believe this is happening. Our lives were set. We are getting the kids all sent off to good schools, our jobs are going really well, too well, evidently," she sighed. "I just didn't expect it. And he didn't exactly seem very upset about the whole thing."

"Did you give him a chance to tell you how he felt about it?" he asked knowingly.

"Well. Maybe not exactly."

"I thought so. Just sit down with him, talk about it. What's the worst that could happen?"

She wrung her hands in her lap. "Did you have any idea that Erin would leave like she did?"

"You're not serious," he shook his head.

"No, I don't know," she shook her head. "I need to talk to him," she said decidedly. "Will you call him?"

"Yeah. You're okay here?"

She nodded and got up to head into Ella's room, which she found empty. She looked at herself in the mirror, considering her image. A day at a spa couldn't kill her, but she hoped that the stress of the night had contributed to her rather haggard appearance. Maybe a good long shower would work wonders. She grabbed one of her daughter's robes off the hook in the closet and slipped out of her clothes quickly. She reemerged, expecting to see her daughter or maybe Jess, having come back in from his phone call that he'd taken in the hall. What she didn't expect to find was three strange boys with their feet up on the coffee table, sipping from coffee house to-go cups and laughing about something one of them had done the night prior.

"Excuse me," she said loudly. All three turned to face her, all looking at her in such a way that she felt a stain rising to her cheeks. Perhaps she wasn't looking so haggard after all. "Who are you people?"

"My name is Jasper, that on the far end of the couch is Greyson, and the man seated to your immediate right is Paxton. And your name is?"

"I'm Rory Dugrey, Ella's mother. Do you know Ella? And more importantly, does she know you're in here?"

"I'm Rosalia's brother," Greyson announced. "If she's surprised we're here, you might want to have her checked for head injuries."

"I, uh," Rory grappled for the right words, as the door opened and her daughter came back into the room, in a robe and her long hair wet and combed down over her shoulders.

"Uh," she blushed furiously as Jasper's face brightened. She snuck a peek at the blonde that was looking at her in quiet interest. He gave a small smile and ducked his head. "What's going on?"

"We're just getting to know your mom," Jasper informed her. "I'm hurt you haven't seemed to have told her about me yet."

"Ella, can I talk to you for a minute?" Rory asked, still eying the boys cautiously. They seemed in no hurry to leave, let alone move off of their places on the couch.

"Um, yeah," she hurried back toward her room, closing the door behind them. "Before you say it, I didn't know they were here."

"Are you still seeing Billy?"

"I … don't know."

Rory's eyes widened. "What happened?"

Ella looked down at her shower-shoe covered feet. "We had a fight, and I haven't heard from him since."

"Honey, why didn't you tell me?"

"I just haven't felt like it, I've had other things going on," she glanced toward the door.

"No!" Rory exclaimed. "No, no, no—not one of those boys!"

"Mom, shh! They'll hear you!"

"You like one of those boys? They're so … preppy. And that one is way too eager," she whispered loudly in distaste.

"I never said I was interested. And they seem really nice. A bit eccentric, perhaps, but nice. And I thought you'd encourage me making friends at school."

"I do, I do, as long as they are the kinds of friends that help you excel. Not the kind that keep you up partying all night, waiting for the chance to get into your pants," Rory said knowingly.

"Mom!"

"You know what I mean," she grumbled. "Do you think it's safe to go back out there?"

"You mean do I think they're going to jump you on your way to the bathroom? I think you're good."

"I meant more like is Jasper going to come in here while you're changing," she said.

"Mom, please!" she rolled her eyes as she pushed her mother toward the door. "Go, get ready for Dad. I'm fine."

"Fine," Rory sighed. "But lock your door when I leave."

"Go!" Ella said, shutting the door behind her mother and staring at the knob for a moment, wondering if the boys would be so bold to just randomly wander into her room without knocking. She smiled as she left it unlocked, moving to consider her clothing options for what promised to be a busy day ahead.

XXXX

Tristan saw Jess leaning against the brick exterior of the hallway, staring at his cell phone. He stopped next to him and mimicked his stance.

"You should get in there," Jess said.

"I know," he agreed. "Does Ella know?"

Jess shook his head. "I don't think so. Just that you two are fighting."

Tristan nodded. "Thanks for coming down here. Apologize to Gwen for me."

"I've been doing enough of that, you're on your own."

Tristan smirked. "Flowers or chocolate?"

"Both," Jess laughed. "Hey, just out of curiosity," he began, waiting for Tristan's nod. When he received the go ahead, he continued, "If Rory just flat out won't go, for whatever reason," he led.

"You think that's how she's leaning?" Tristan furrowed his brow at the idea of her out and out refusal.

"I think she needs to hear that her vote counts—that it's not the job or her."

Tristan paled. "I couldn't—thanks. I think it's time I talk to my wife," he swallowed and knocked on the door, realizing he didn't have a key to his daughter's new residence. He half turned down the hall to see Jess' retreating form. "Is this where we dropped Ella off at?"

Jess shook his head. "She moved yesterday. You didn't know?"

Tristan just shook his head and waved his old friend off as the door opened to reveal a boy her daughter's age. His heart dropped, until he realized it just might be her roommate's boyfriend.

"You must be Ella's father," the boy stuck out his hand cordially. "I consider it an honor."

Tristan frowned at him. "And you are?"

"Jasper Wellington, at your service."

"So, you could point me in the direction of my daughter or my wife?"

"Your daughter is in there," he pointed. "Your wife left a bit ago, headed for the bathroom I believe."

A dark-haired girl emerged from the other bedroom. She smiled warmly at him. "Ella's dad?"

"That's me. You're the new roommate?"

"Call me Rosa. These belong to me. That's my brother, Greyson Langley, Paxton Huntzberger, and Jasper Wellington."

"Yeah, I caught the last one earlier. Huntzberger?" he asked with interest. "I think I know your father," he nodded.

Paxton nodded. "You're a journalist?"

"My wife is. Logan owns the _Times_, doesn't he?"

"Among other things," he nodded. "And call me Pax."

Ella emerged from her room to find her father chatting amongst the group. She moved over, and he reached out for her. "Hey, Dad," she reached up to kiss his cheek as he put his arm around her good naturedly.

"Can you go get your mom?"

"She'll be right back. She went to take a shower. I think she had a late night. She and Uncle Jess talked until all hours."

He nodded. "Guess we'll just hang out with your friends. Did you know we knew Pax's father?"

She raised her head up at the unfamiliar name. All this time, the blonde boy's name had escaped warranting an introduction. "Is that so?" she smiled.

"Seems that way," he nodded, matching her gesture.

"Tristan?"

The group looked to Rory, who was standing in the doorway, looking rather surprised to see the multiplying group staring at her.

"Hey," he nodded, letting go of his daughter as he motioned to Ella's room. Rory nodded and followed him into the closed off space. Ella stared after them, shuddering suddenly as she groaned.

"Oh, crap," she sank down into the armchair, half sitting on Rosa.

Rosa stuck her arm around her shoulders and pulled her hair back soothingly. "What's wrong?"

"My parents are in my room. They're fighting, and now they're locked away together to make up. Which means," she shuddered again. "I'm so dumb."

"We'll help you sanitize. We're remarkably fast at the task," Jasper promised.

"I'm sorry, but—what?" Ella asked, too surprised to let out the laugh that was stuck in her throat, ready for release.

"His parents are kind of—well, let's just say it wouldn't be the first time we'd have to perform such a task for one of our own," Pax said, grinning at his friend.

"They do tend to get a bit randy, regardless of the situation," Jas frowned.

"A quality that has been passed on to the next generation," Rosa giggled, to which Jas bowed with pride.

"I cannot tell a lie," he grinned.

XXXX

Rory sat on the bed silently, gathering her robe closed around her body. She bit her lip and looked up to Tristan, who stood solitarily in front of his daughter's uncluttered desk. She had yet to buy her school books it seemed, as the only thing laying on her desk was a tattered copy of _To Kill A Mockingbird_ and a box of pens.

"So," she managed.

"Rory," he breathed, moving closer to her suddenly. He knelt in front of her and grabbed her hands. "None of this has gone right," he shook his head. "The last thing I've ever wanted was for you to feel unimportant in my life. I can't live without you, so if you won't move to Raleigh or Boston, then neither of those are an option for me anymore. I'll find another job, in the city, or maybe in a smaller office, doing a desk job, or," he began, trying desperately to dispel the notion he feared she had in her head.

She shook her head, reaching out to touch his stubble-covered face. It was clear he'd done nothing to care for himself since last time she saw him. She doubted he'd even eaten. She stroked his cheek lightly. "You think you can get rid of me that easy?"

He smiled and rested his head against her chest. "I'm sorry I told you how I did. I should have come straight to you, when I got the call, I was just in shock. I don't like the idea of uprooting the kids, you, all just so I can--," he began, but she shook her head.

"You deserve this," she reminded him. "You've been working for it for how many years? And I can work in Raleigh or Boston same as I can in New York. Maybe I'll finally write my book, take some time off," she mused.

"So, you're saying?" he searched her eyes for a clear-cut decision.

"I'm saying we should talk it over with Jake, make sure he's willing to make the transition as much as we are. He's been through a lot, lately, I'm not sure he'll take to adjusting to a new school so readily," she warned.

"I know. We'll talk it over with Jake, then we'll look into schools in both places, homes," he said, running his hand up under the bottom of her robe.

She smiled. "I can't imagine selling our house," she whispered.

"Let's just take one thing at a time," he nodded, pulling her in closer, letting the smell of her freshly soap-cleaned body overwhelm his senses.

"One thing at a time," she nodded, catching his lips against hers.

"Like right now," he let his hands move up to untie the secured strap on her robe, letting it fall open slightly so he could slip his hands around her sides. "I'm just focusing on you," he kissed her sternum. "Here with me."

"Tristan, we're in our daughter's dorm room," she reminded him as he let one side of her robe slip off her shoulder, with the aid or his hand.

"Hey, I paid good money for this room," he let out a soft chuckle. "We can change the sheets when we're done if it makes you feel better," he promised.

His lips were adhered to hers before she could reply, but he took her compilation; the way her body leaned back, as if melting under his, the way her lips invited him back to hers again and again….

"I missed you," he groaned as her robe fell completely away, and she wrapped her body around his, glad to be back in his arms as much as he was relieved to be there.

XXXX

Ella walked along the stacked shelves, searching for her section of Psych 101. It was nearly inconceivable to her that one class not only had so many sections, but that each section required a seemingly completely different stack of texts. She sighed and moved down the row, seeking out her course number.

Someone nudged her shoulder and she looked up apologetically until she saw the familiar face smirking at her.

"Which one?" he asked.

She held up her course card. "3120."

"Huh, me too," he nodded. "I don't see it."

"It's the day before classes start, it has to be here," she sighed.

"Not necessarily. Some of the more lax teachers wait and hand out reading assignments in the syllabus, especially if they spent all summer researching and forgot to submit the request to the bookstore," he informed her.

"And here I thought I was attending one of the finer learning institutions," she shook her head as he ducked down to the shelf below. She looked down at his shiny blonde hair as it hovered under her waistline.

"What are you doing?" she asked, crouching down now, as if to help him look for items unknown.

"3120," he tapped the course card on the bottom row.

"Yea!" she exclaimed, sitting down on her butt to sift through the stacks for herself.

"Those aren't required," he warned as she grabbed one of the farthest stacks.

"So?"

"So, no one ever buys the unrequired texts."

"If they aren't required, why would they be on the list?"

"Because the professors have the unfortunate view that we have nothing better to do than read every book that they think is worth our very precious free time. It's a book they might reference, but it isn't something you need," he assured her.

"But … it's on the card," she furrowed her eyebrows.

He gave a laugh. "Hey, it's your free time," he waved his hand to the other books.

"I like to be prepared," she shrugged. "It's not like I don't plan on having a life. I will—I do," she insisted.

"So, when are we going to get to meet this boyfriend of yours?" he asked knowingly.

She glared at his tone. "What, you think I'm fabricating a boyfriend? I have a boyfriend," she assured him.

He shrugged. "I just find it hard to believe that any guy would be dumb enough to get in a fight with you and not call for a day."

She felt herself involuntarily blushing. She was working up a nice distaste for this person and he had to go and . . . . "It's been more like two."

He nodded. "So, you gonna call him?"

"How come I had to wait for my father to tell me your name?"

"How come you never asked my name?"

She sighed and smiled at his turning her questions back on her. "You don't like your name?"

"There's nothing wrong with my name," he shrugged. "Sometimes I find it easier, in a social setting, not to let girls know my last name."

"Why?"

He raised his eyebrows. "Did you not catch who my father was?"

She nodded. "So? You've got money. Big deal," she attempted to pull her and her large stack of books up so that she was standing over him, but she had to lose the added weight to gain enough balance to stand over him, her books stacked in a heap beside her feet. "Can you give me a hand? I didn't realize that my books would weigh more than I do."

He looked up at her and smiled. "I see. All I am to you is a strong pair of arms."

She reached out to pat his arm before he leaned down to heave the bulk of her stack into his arms.

"Well, they are nice arms," she smiled, picked up the remainder of her books, and turned toward the cash register.

XXXX

"It's none of your business," Luke sighed as he settled down next to his wife on a stool. It was his lunch break, and Jake had gone off to play basketball at the high school. She sighed and shrugged.

"She's my kid, she's always my business. What could he have done? He wouldn't cheat on her," she said as he pushed her plate closer to her.

"No, he wouldn't. He knows he'd have the stuffing plucked out of him if he did that. Eat," he instructed.

She picked up a fry and played with it. "I just don't get it. And why didn't she call me, for advice?"

"Maybe she just wanted time alone, come on, I made that disgusting thing for you," he pointed to her plate of chili cheese fries.

"She's always come to me in the past, when she had a problem. Why not now?"

"She's a grown woman. Maybe she didn't have a problem, she was just mad and she wanted to cool off. She knew you'd make her talk, and so she probably went to see Ella because she's not used to being without her and she wouldn't make her talk while eating things guaranteed to rot her body."

"You suck at these pep talks," she threatened his shirt with a goop-covered French fry.

"She'll come to you, and tell you all about it when things have settled down."

"I know. In the meantime, I guess you'll have to take my mind off of it."

He looked at her warily. "No. Forget it."

"Luke, you say no every year!" she complained.

"And what does that tell you?"

"Please? I have the fishnet stockings, and Kirk has the perfect wig we can borrow," she said, as if these things would change his mind.

"I'm not dressing up, let alone stepping foot near the Black, White, and Read during the annual Rocky Horror marathon. Those people are freaks!" he said, standing up to move back behind the counter, having finished his club sandwich.

"Hey, may I remind you, you married one of those freaks!"

"Yes, but I've never seen you acting like a freak," he pointed out. "I can pretend like it doesn't happen."

"You see me dressed up, on my way to freaky events," she argued.

"Yes, but I pretend it's just some kinky sex thing for later," he leaned in to whisper in her ear, which earned him a kiss on the cheek.

"Mmm. I like the way your mind works," she said appreciatively.

"Then why would you ever want to change it?" he asked.

"Fine. I'll just get Jake to go with me."

"Fine. I'll just call child protective services in about an hour," he smirked and disappeared back into the back as she found her appetite and dug into her mound of hot, cheesy, chili drenched fries.


	28. Chapter 28

Title: Peer Pressure

Summary: Fourth installment in the WHW series. A Trory, of course. And, you know a billion other pairings.

Rating: T, for teen. Because there are so many of them running about.

Ella unlocked her door quickly and held it open for Pax to hurry through the door as he carried the mountain of books she'd amassed at the university bookstore. He hadn't complained once about the added weight to his load or really seemed to be in a hurry to set them down. She shut the door behind them and pointed to her bedroom door.

"You can just put them on my desk, in—oh," she stopped short, seeing that not only was her door still shut, but now there was a sock on the door handle. "Eww," she groaned before realizing that she was not alone during this, her most mortifying of moments. "I have literally never felt this level of mortification," she admitted as she closed her eyes.

Pax just moved to set the stack down on the coffee table in the center of the main room. "Hey, come on. At least they have a sense of humor," he pointed to the sock. "Your father's, I'm guessing, unless you," he stopped and cleared his throat.

"Unless I what?" she asked, watching him as he moved away from the door and shrugged.

"Unless you have male visitors that might leave forgotten mementos behind," he supplied.

"No! God, no! I can't believe you'd even think that," she glared at him.

"I'm sorry, it happens. It's nothing to be ashamed of," he took his time with his eyes, gauging the whole of her reaction. Her tense facial expression, her arms crossed over her chest, her one leg jutted out in a defiant stance. When he brought his eyes back up to her face, he could tell her fresh blush was from the knowledge that he had been none-too-subtle about checking her out. "Come on, let's get out of here."

"What?"

"Do you drink coffee?"

"Yes."

"Do you want to stick around to hear an encore?" he tilted his head toward her bedroom door.

"God, no," she shook her head.

"Then come and get some coffee with me. I promise it'll be an outing of the innocent variety. One you could feel guiltless about describing to your boyfriend. Not at all the kind of thing that ends up with one of us forgetting a sock in one another's room," he gave a teasing smile as he waited for her answer.

"You think you're funny," she said as she opened her door again, clearly ready to join him.

"I have my moments," he acknowledged as he held the door open while she passed through it and let it fall shut behind him.

XXXX

Rory snuggled against Tristan's bare chest, their limbs forced into a weird tangle as they shared the extra-long twin bed. "I'm having the weirdest sense of déjà vu," she sighed.

"It's these beds," he nodded into her, kissing her head.

"I think that's it," she giggled. "How did we ever do this repeatedly?"

"We were younger," he began, "and I'm guessing a bit more gymnastic in our moves," he teased.

"Hey, that last thing you did was plenty gymnastic for me," she said. "I am going to be so sore tomorrow," she giggled.

"Tell me it wasn't worth it," he dared her.

"Never," she leaned up to kiss him full on the lips. When the kiss lingered to the barest of brushes, she looked up into his eyes. "I'm sorry."

"For?"

"Fleeing. You didn't deserve that," she lowered her lashes as she continued. "Ever since I watched Jess go through everything with Erin, to hear you say 'job offer' and North Carolina," she was ashamed even thinking it, let alone saying it out loud.

"You know I loved it down there," he sighed. "But being with you is a much bigger draw than warm weather and distance from my family ever was. The only thing I ever regret is not moving closer to you sooner back then. The thing is, I'm gonna look back when I'm old and wish I had more time with you. Stuff like work, it's important now, but you're important always."

"You talk so good," she traced his lips with her finger.

"Yeah, well, I've had some time to consider such questions," he smirked. "I didn't sleep, I didn't eat, I thought about you."

"I thought about you, too. Thanks for sending Jess. He wouldn't let me sleep, by the way," she complained.

"So, my evil plan worked. Get you all sleep deprived and get you to agree to anything," he smiled deviously.

"This isn't sleep deprived. The seventy-two hours I was in labor with Jake, then I was sleep deprived," she reminded.

"I thought we were never to speak of those hours again?" he teased.

"Well, as horrible as they were, the outcome—that was good."

"Just like now?" he asked hopefully.

"This might turn out okay. I mean, if you take that stupid sock off the door and Ella doesn't kill you," she giggled.

"Does any of us need for her to walk in here? Those doors don't lock!" he pleaded his case.

"Let's go get Jake. We have a lot of talking to do," she said, beginning to sit up and pushing the covers off of her legs.

"You think you can walk?"

"I think I'd be mortified if you have to carry me out of here, with all those boys that seem to loiter about watching our every move."

"You don't like those guys?" he asked as she attempted to stand on very weak legs and ended up seated quickly on the edge of the bed.

"You do like those guys?" she shot him a look.

"I do, they remind me of me when I was that age," he smirked. "Much more appropriate company for Ella."

"I can't believe you don't like Billy, still," she shook her head. "And at least with Billy she waited a while to have sex. Do you think any of those boys would even bat an eyelash at having casual sex with her—pulling all that no-strings attached crap?"

He seemed to be scanning through his own sexual past. He cringed. "She wouldn't do that," he said finally.

"Every parent says their own kid wouldn't do it. But she is half your daughter—and every girl gives into temptation at some point," she poked him in the chest. "I certainly might not have been so strong around you, regardless of our level of attachment."

"Damn. And here I went and bought the whole damn cart," he laughed as she tried hard to stand on her feet to gain leverage, but ended up back on her butt on the bed. He kissed the top of her head as he stood with a bit more ease. "At least the spark's still there," he mused as he tossed her clothes at her, unable to watch her suffer through the experience of using her worn-out legs to find them herself.

XXXX

"So, where are the others?" Ella asked as they sat over their mugs of coffee in the air-conditioned café. It was turned on too cool a setting, and she wrapped her chilled hands around the warm mug.

"They must have turned off their homing beacons," he smiled easily. "And the possibilities are endless. We could be here all day postulating."

"I just meant, it seems like you guys are always together."

"Old habits die hard," he nodded.

"You all went to school together?" she asked.

"At times. I think it was more being caged in one playpen from birth that set the bonding thing in, though."

"Wow. You've known each other all your lives?"

"It doesn't show?" he asked, knowingly.

"I just think that's really cool. To have life-long friends like that."

"You don't have anyone you grew up with, like that?"

"Well, my godfather's kids—we're close, but it's not like we spend all our free time together."

"I'm spending my free time not with them right now," he pointed out.

"Touché," she took a sip. "So, tell me a story."

"A story?" his eyebrows raised at the request. "Like _Goldilocks_?"

She giggled. "No, about someone in your group," she offered.

"Already bored of me, huh?"

"No, you can tell me about you, if you want, I just didn't want to be presumptuous," she added.

"How about you tell me more about you? I already know all about my friends," he smiled.

"What about me?"

"Where are you from?"

"New York," she answered automatically, and thus as rapidly, he shot another question at her.

"Favorite color?"

"Blue."

"Biggest fear?"

"Being enclosed in a small space."

"That's something I can help you with," he said, taking only a slight inhale before continuing, "Favorite dream?"

"Singing on stage with the Foo Fighters," she replied before she could think about it. "How can you help me with my fear?"

"I have some bootleg stuff of theirs," he ignored her question. "My parents went to a lot of shows. My mom and her friends, they were sort of fanatics. Followed the band around for a while," he informed her.

"Don't tease me about Dave Grohl. The last guy that did that still has scars," she warned.

"Physical or emotional?" he queried.

"Both," she raised her eyebrows in triumphant excitement.

"Then I would never—I can't have scars."

"You don't have any scars?"

"Not a one," he shook his head.

"I don't believe you," she shook her head.

He leaned over the table and lowered his voice. "Now, I thought we agreed that this wasn't going to be the kind of outing that leads to us parting with our clothing."

She blushed. "Fine. Just give me the number of someone that's seen you naked."

"What you really need is the number of someone that knows every inch of my body. That's very different."

"How so?"

"Have you spent enough time with everyone that's seen you naked to know every last inch of their body? I mean, really taken the time to memorize every last imperfection that compiles the beauty of the human form?"

Despite her having had two cups of coffee, she found her mouth suddenly very dry. "Um, well, I guess you have a point," she frowned.

He nodded. "You want something more?"

Her head snapped up. "Excuse me?"

"Coffee? I was going to get a refill," he pointed to the cups. "You okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine. More coffee's good," she nodded as he grabbed both cups and disappeared from the table, literally leaving her in his wake.

XXXX

"You didn't have to do all of this," Dave hugged his sister as they came through the door to their apartment. "How'd you get a key?"

"You left us one, to water your plants and feed that fish," Will said as he hugged him in turn. "Guess you had other things on your mind all week?"

"Couldn't have told you my name most of the time," Dave grinned as he pulled his new bride to his side. The whole room was filled with their friends as well as their parents, most of whom were merely stopping by for a quick hello and leaving the 'kids' to enjoy the last day before most of them had to return to college. Dave was one of the few in the room that was completely finished and only off to a full-time job as of tomorrow.

"Did you see any of the island?" Anna smiled knowingly at her new sister-in-law.

"We might have to go back, later. I don't think I'll remember much, other than the ocean breeze that came in through the window," Mal smiled.

"Well, we hope you enjoyed it while you did, because this is your welcome to reality party. We will be discussing mortgage loans, car payments, saving for Junior's college, and retirement plans," Will announced.

"Crank up the jam!" Lorelai yelled as someone flipped on the stereo, and food began to be passed around, people in the room suddenly talking amongst themselves as they waited to greet the incoming pair.

XXXX

Jess slipped into the house, leaving his keys on the side table and walking into the front room to survey the damage. No one was hanging around, so he slid onto the couch horizontally to take advantage of the quiet and nap. He was physically exhausted from the night before and the drive into the city from Connecticut. He was able to rest for all of maybe five minutes before his daughter came in and peered over the back of the couch at him.

"Dad?" Jules whispered.

"Is something on fire?"

"No."

"Anyone hurt?"

"No."

"I need sleep, kid," he yawned.

"It'll be quick, I swear. I really need to talk to you now," she insisted.

He patted the edge of the couch that his body wasn't covering, and she moved around to sit at his side.

"Daddy?"

He opened his eyes. She almost never called him daddy. Only when she was in pain or up to something. "Is this about Ambrose and Gwen? Did something happen?"

"No. Actually, they just ran down to the corner video store to get some stuff for tonight. Evidently she shares his love of Willem Dafoe. They got into this weird debate about him and Dennis Leary and the chances that they were twins separated at birth," she frowned.

"The pain," Jess took a pillow and covered his face.

"Tell me about it. So, Dad, look," she sighed nervously.

He removed the pillow. "You pregnant?"

"What? No!"

"I'm sorry. You just have this look on your face, just like your mother when she told me she was gonna have Ambrose. Continue," he encouraged as he tried to blink the similarity out of his field of view.

"You know the whole thing with Jake? The hitting thing?"

"Yeah," he nodded.

"I sort of freaked. And not because he was pressuring me, or I was afraid—it's just that," she paused, taking another breath, for courage. "I should wait," she stopped.

Jess sat up. "Wait for what?"

"It's just, I had planned on Gwen being here when I told you, to make it, easier," she stalled.

"Is this about your period?"

"What?" she asked, completely bewildered.

"Did you get your period? You need to talk to a woman? Because, I mean, I realize that it's natural, if you're a girl, but I'm not really equipped with the necessary information to--," he began, squirming in his seat.

"No! I got my period three years ago," she said, as if he should have known.

"Oh. Well, good," he frowned, unsure as to what the proper thing to say was. Was this a congratulatory thing or a moment where he should be empathetic to her pain? He sighed. "So, what is this about?"

"I'm sort of dating someone."

"You're fifteen," he informed her.

"I know that, Dad," she met his gaze.

"You're not supposed to date 'til you're sixteen," he said.

"Since when? How old were you?"

"I was—it's not important how old I was," he frowned. "I swear your mom told you that sixteen was the rule," he groaned.

"Well, she never told me, besides, she's not exactly here to check with," she frowned.

"You just met this person?"

"Well, no, not exactly," she bit her lip.

He looked at her expectantly.

"We've been dating almost since Mom left," she admitted softly.

"And I'm finding out now," he said slowly.

"I'm sorry," she cringed.

"And you're not pregnant?" he asked, to be sure.

"God! No, we aren't doing, that," she emphasized the last word.

"Good," he said with pure relief. "I need to meet this person."

"Court."

"His name is Court?" he smirked.

"Daddy," she frowned.

"Sorry. Yes, I need to meet Court."

"Will you be nice?"

"Excuse me? I'm your father, which means," he began, but she widened her eyes and looked up at him. He hated it when she did that. "I'll be nice."

"No inviting Uncle Tristan over."

"Fine."

"Ambrose is to be elsewhere."

"He lives here," Jess pointed out, hoping for a loophole, a partner in crime.

"And I want Gwen present."

"Excuse me?"

"She calms you," she frowned. "I need you calm."

"Why? Will I not like him?"

"Dad, please?"

Jess sighed. He was literally too tired to argue. "You should go into business. You've got negotiating skills out the wazoo," he pulled her to him for a brief hug and yawned. "Was that too painful?"

"No," she admitted.

"Thanks for telling me," he said sincerely. "I like to be apprised of things when it concerns you."

"I like to apprise you," she beamed.

"Good. Now let me get some sleep before we're inflicted with a Willem Dafoe/Dennis Leary compare/contrast marathon."

"Any chance I can be allowed to go out with Court before you meet him?"

Jess laughed. "If I have to suffer, you have to suffer. You may call him and invite him to dinner next Friday," he said as his eyes closed for the final time, falling asleep as he heard her scamper off down the hallway to the privacy of her own room to make the call.

XXXX

Rory and Tristan were coming out of Ella's room when a knock came to the door. Tristan moved to answer it as Rory gathered her things from the front room and tidied up her bedding.

Billy stood in the doorway, his eyes widening as he took in the visage of the dreaded father. He ran a hand through his hair nervously.

"Is Ella here?"

"No, she's not. Is she expecting you?"

"I didn't even know she'd moved," his shoulders slumped. "I can't believe she called you guys," he sighed.

"She didn't. You guys have a fight?" he assumed.

"Yeah," he admitted. "I gave her time to cool off, only to have Jane tell me she moved out," he shook his head. "I need to talk to her."

"Well, you are welcome to wait in here with us," Tristan felt badly for the boy, knowing the torment he was feeling after a fight. The boy did claim to love his daughter after all, and he knew of no bad behavior on his part.

"Thanks," he said. "They're having a party for Dave. They just got back today," he said.

"That's what Mom was saying. We're headed back there next, to stop by, and then pick up Jake," Rory said, patting the cleared off couch for him to sit.

"This is really nice of you guys, to invite me in. She was really mad," he gulped.

"She just told me you'd had a disagreement," Rory admitted. All tension in the room came to a breaking point when a key turned in the door and Ella's back lingered in the doorframe, her body turned in toward another guy.

"Ella?" Billy stood, moving toward his girlfriend.

She turned, but remained in place. "Billy?"

"This is the boyfriend?" Pax asked.

"Yes, I am. Who are you?" Billy asked, clearly agitated.

"He's a friend," Ella said, clearly not pleased with his attitude.

"You've been here a day, how good of a friend could he be?" Billy asked.

"His father is an acquaintance of ours, actually," Tristan stepped in to help his daughter out. "Give him our best, will you? I'm afraid we have to get going, to pick up your brother," Tristan hugged his daughter.

"Thanks, Daddy," she whispered.

"Anytime," he squeezed back.

"Call me, if you need anything," Rory said.

"Oh, you'll be hearing from me," Ella said in a cryptic voice, and Rory blushed knowing that she had seen the sock.

"We're just gonna go," Rory didn't meet her gaze, and followed her husband out into the hallway, leaving the kids to their weird standoff.

"So, thanks for walking me back," Ella said to Pax.

"Anytime. I'll see you later?"

"Probably," she nodded, glancing at Billy. "I mean, it's inevitable, right?"

"I'd say truer words were never spoken. Nice to meet you," he extended his hand out to the other boy, who shook it tersely.

"Same to you," Billy said as he smiled at the pair and left them alone.

"I can't believe you acted like that!" Ella said, as soon as the door was shut.

"Acted like what? Surprised to catch my girlfriend coming back from a date?"

"It wasn't a date!"

"Well, then I need to get my eyes examined."

"You need to have your head examined!"

"Is this about Jane? I wasn't flirting with Jane!"

"You know what? I don't care. Flirt with whomever you want to!"

"What?" he asked, the wind taken completely out of his arguing sails.

"This isn't fun, anymore," she said, looking up at him through thick lashes.

"What is this? You're breaking up with me over one stupid fight?"

"NO! It's not just one stupid fight. We've been fighting, Billy. It's what comes naturally to us!"

"Couples fight!"

"Not like this. My parents fight over things, but it's playful, and they make up. We don't make up, we just get mad and storm off, then get mad again. And of course you're flirting with other girls, you're noticing other girls, because you don't feel the same way about me as you used to."

"Is this how you think I'm feeling, or how you're feeling?"

"I … can't say I haven't noticed other guys," she admitted.

"Like your date?"

"He wasn't my date! And just guys in general," she crossed her arms. "I don't want us to be like this. I want to be able to see you and not hate you. Don't you want to stay friends?"

"You just want to be friends?" he asked, making sure of what her intent was.

"I think it's for the best," she said quietly. "Our lives, they're going in these different directions, and we should both be free to explore what we're exposed to. It's what college is about. It was one thing, in high school, to do the long distance thing. We had structure in our lives, but now, with increased studies and all the chaos of a college schedule," she sighed. "Don't you think it's best?"

"I think it's clear you don't want to be with me anymore," he said quietly. "I'm just gonna go."

"Billy, wait," she cried out, moving to block his exit. "Tell me we can be friends?"

"I hope you're happy with your new life," he looked at her, crushing her worse than his yelling or protest ever could. She let go of his arm, and he walked through the door, leaving her shell-shocked and alone.


	29. Chapter 29

Title: Peer Pressure

Summary: Fourth installment in the WHW series. A Trory, of course. And, you know a billion other pairings.

Rating: T, for teen. Because there are so many of them running about.

"Jasper!" Rosa called after him as he giggled manically, threw open her bedroom door, and flipped the switch to illuminate his path. He seemed to be making a beeline for her top dresser drawer, but he stopped suddenly, nearly tripping on his own feet when he saw a curled up figure lying on the bed.

"I'll paint your nails, but only if my underwear goes untouched," she followed him into her bedroom, crashing into him as he'd stopped dead in his tracks halfway into her room. He'd indeed been making a move for her dresser drawer when he saw the curved lump under Rosa's covers.

"Do my eyes deceive me, or has alcohol finally cleared my vision to see my dreams coming true?" he whispered to Rosa, as if he were afraid to make the vision disappear.

"Go away, Jas, let me handle this," Rosa pushed him toward the door, but his sense of balance was shifted about six inches to the opposite side, and she ended up stopping him from falling to the floor.

"I want to check on the girl," he pleaded. "She likes me, and you know it."

Rosa giggled softly. "Fine. Check to see if she's breathing, then gently remind her that she has her own bed and I'd like to use mine," she kissed Jasper's cheek and exited the room quietly.

Jasper got to his knees and crawled over to the bedside. It was easier to move closer to the ground in his inebriated state. He blinked a few times to gather his wits and attempted to erase the rays of light that seemed to be emanating from her form. He put his hand to her back and whispered.

"Ella?"

He heard a slight sniffle and sob muffled by the pillow in response.

"Darling, I'm going to join you, but if you don't want me to, you must tell me now. If you push me off the bed, it might end in my needing medical attention, and my mother will have my hide if I wind up in the hospital," he explained.

After a moment of quiet shaking, he put drew his hand up and down the length of her shoulder blade. "Ella?"

She nodded and turned her head to show him her bloodshot eyes and red nose. She'd evidently been in here quite some time, working herself up into quite a state of misery.

He climbed up onto the mattress, lightly brushing her hair back off her face, peeling strands that had become adhered with her tears to her skin in the past few hours.

"You want to talk about it, love?"

She shook her head. He nodded. "Alright then, just lay here and cry your eyes out, and if Rosa tries to kick you out of her bed, I'll threaten to tell her mother where she was last summer when she was supposed to be flying to Seattle for her cousin's wedding," he soothed.

"Wh-what?" she asked, her sobs still coming through her interest.

Jasper smiled. "We all have our secrets," he nodded. "Well, except me. I'm an open book," he shared. "Go on, ask me anything."

"Are you drunk?" she asked, easily able to smell the alcohol on his breath at this close vantage point.

"Just a smidge," he made a face. "Perfectly capable of being in bed with you," he nodded.

Ella scooted away from him a bit. "I don't really feel up to," she looked away, clearly uncomfortable at the insinuation.

"Bit more drunk than I thought," he seemed to be telling himself more than her as he shook his head. "I meant only that I'm fine to be here, taking care of you."

"You don't need to, I mean, it's nice of you, really," she sniffed.

"Tell me what happened. I'm a very good listener," he assured her.

Ella considered his words, and shifted back toward him. He wrapped one arm around her shoulders and waited.

"I came back from getting coffee, with Pax, earlier. We'd been out getting our books," she explained. "When I got back, Billy was here. We got into a fight and broke up," she sniffed.

"Oh, Ella," he stroked her hair. "I'm sorry."

"It was coming, but still," she started crying harder again. "He thought I was cheating on him, and I got so mad."

"Go ahead and let it out," he patted her back. "Why are you in Rosa's bed?" he queried.

"There was a sock on my door handle when we got back to the room the first time," she explained, still through fresh tears.

"Right," he cringed, with his arms still around her, letting her cry into him as they laid there in silence.

Rosa had her ear to the door, alongside Pax. He cringed when Ella revealed the events of the evening after he left her room. Not so much at her words, but more because Rosa smacked him in the chest at the revelation.

"Ow," he whispered.

"I can't believe you! She had a boyfriend!" she reiterated.

"Coffee! We had coffee! It's not like I took her back to my room," he defended.

"But you wanted to!" she accused.

"I don't need to go sniffing around girls with boyfriends, if you recall I've got plenty of perfectly single girls to choose from," he reminded.

"I've seen how you look at her," she nudged him.

"How do I look at her?" he challenged.

"Like she's this present under the tree that you aren't allowed to open until Christmas, and it's only the 20th of December."

He narrowed his eyes. "Well, even if your analogies for the insane were true," he took a breath, "I believe I've been beaten to the punch," he gestured to the closed door where Jasper was consoling the girl.

"Yeah. I've seen how he looks at her, too," Rosa gave a sad smile. "Hey, there's always me," she teased.

He kissed her forehead. "I've never had a better offer," he smiled as he walked away from the door, not wanting to hear the soft words exchanged on the other side.

XXXX

Jess was still napping when his son came through the door loaded down with movies. Gwen shut the door behind him, carrying bags of popcorn and Milk Duds. They shared a look, and Gwen smiled to herself as she dropped the bags in the kitchen and crept over behind the couch. Ambrose had set the movies down on top of the DVD player and watched her movements. She leaned down to Jess' ear and gave a soft, nearly inaudible, whisper.

His eyes snapped open instantly as his hand reached out for her. He blinked as he saw her smile, then he heard his son's chuckle.

"Movie time," she smirked.

"You're an evil, evil woman, and I'm holding you to that," he looked her full on in the eyes.

"Not in front of the kiddies," Ambrose pleaded. "Seriously. I'm very impressionable."

"Besides, if you come with me and prove your little statement, you'll have a much better time," Jess ignored his sarcastic son.

"Why? You plan on talking through my movies?" she asked.

"Damn straight. Jules filled me in on the atrocity you two have planned for this little gathering."

"We have to figure out if they're the same person! We did some research, and did you know they've never been seen together in public?" she asked.

Jess grabbed hold of her arm and pulled her over the back of the couch. She fell on top of him, laughing.

"Maybe I should go get Jules," Ambrose begged off.

"Finally, one of my kids does something I'm proud of," he said, pulling her head down to meet his in a kiss. She returned the affection, lingering in the moment as long as they wanted.

"How was your trip?"

"Successful. I'm sure by now the make-up sex has commenced."

"What happened, anyway?"

Jess sighed. "Tristan got a job offer. Thing is, he has to move out of New York. Rory freaked, and it was my job to talk her down into a state of capacity to speak about it with him."

"Wow. So, they're gonna move?"

Jess raised an eyebrow. "Maybe."

"Big stuff," she moved down to kiss him again.

"Can I ask you a question?" he asked.

"Sure," she encouraged.

"How old were you, when you had your first boyfriend?"

She looked at him in surprise. "That's an … odd thing to ask."

"Jules told me she has a boyfriend," he informed.

"Oh," she looked down at his chest.

"I mean, she's fifteen. Isn't that a bit young?"

Gwen smiled. "God, you're such a dad."

"You'd prefer I acted more like a pimp?"

Gwen giggled instantly at the image. He worsened the situation with his hands moving against her sides in attempt to tickle her in retaliation for her laughing at him.

"I just meant she's old enough to have a boyfriend. I was fourteen when I had my first boyfriend. I'm sure it's very innocent and she's not at all in need of a pimp. And even if she were, I don't think she'd look to you," she ran a hand through his hair. "How old were you?"

Jess looked down off the side of the couch. "She asked me the same thing."

"And were you evasive with her?"

"I'm not evasive."

"Sure," she kissed his cheek. "Out with it," she prodded his chest.

"My first real girlfriend?" he asked.

She nodded.

"I was," he paused, looking at her in earnest. "Seventeen."

Her jaw dropped a little. "What, were you raised in a monastery?"

He snorted. "Hardly."

"Seventeen?" she clarified.

"Rory," he nodded.

"Wow."

"That's not to say that I hadn't been with girls," he widened his eyes in meaning.

"Oh. Right," she caught his meaning. "Not a one-woman man, were you?"

"Not exactly. I didn't have," he sighed. "You know, the best role models. I didn't really see a point back then. I was sort of out for pleasure, pain—whatever would be a better distraction."

"How old were you, when you started that?"

He looked up, as if looking for the answer above him. "Thirteen?"

Her mouth gaped open. "Damn. No wonder you're so good at what you do," she said in quiet amazement.

"Practice makes perfect, remember that," he nudged her with his nose into her cheek. "You okay with this?"

She looked into his warm brown eyes. "Why wouldn't I be?"

"I've never told anyone that," he admitted. "The kind of girls I was interested in since I starting giving a damn, I was always afraid it'd scare them off."

"Not afraid to scare me off?" she half-teased.

"Well, if my divorce and kids haven't yet, I figure you might be one to put up with this level of information."

"I like who you are, and I like knowing you. Whatever that entails. As long as it's true."

He moved up to kiss her, craning his upper body up to meet hers, holding her tightly against him as the kiss heightened in passion.

When he pulled back, he smiled. "You're sure you want to watch those movies?"

"Come on, I bought you Milk Duds," she looked lovingly into his eyes.

"Fine. But you're gonna owe me way more than Milk Duds," he vowed, letting her up to pop in the first of many DVDs, and they called for the kids to come out to a clear coast.

XXXX

"Congratulations!" Rory hugged Davey as they entered the crowded apartment. Tristan's arm never left her body as she moved in, and he slid his arm back around her waist as he shook Davey's hand.

"Thanks," Davey smiled. "You guys didn't have to come all the way up for this," he assured them.

"Oh, I think they had ulterior motives," Lorelai stepped in. "I see you two are all properly twitterpated again," she observed.

"We're good," Rory smiled.

"You two had a fight?" Will asked, moving up next to his sister.

"We're fine," Rory assured the growing crowd.

"What'd you do?" Anna asked Tristan.

"Why does it have to be me?"

"Dad, please," Jake said, moving toward his parents.

Rory and Tristan looked to their son, both their expressions growing more somber. "Jake," Rory frowned. "Can we, um, talk to you for a second?"

Davey watched as the family exchanged silent, yet loaded, glances. "Uh, you can use our room," he offered.

"Thanks," Tristan said as they moved out of the crowd and down the hall.

"What was that about?" Will asked his mother.

"What, like I'm omniscient?" she asked.

"No," he shook his head and smiled. "Just nosey."

She swatted at his backside, and he moved over behind Anna for protection.

"No, no, no way, you're on your own," she said, trying her best not to come between mother and son.

XXXX

"We're moving?" Jake asked, completely incredulous after his parents laid out the details the weekend had brought them.

"Maybe," Rory said, at the same time Tristan said, "Yes."

They exchanged a look.

"Which is it?"

"We're deciding, as a family," Rory explained.

"So, we all get a vote?" Jake asked.

"Yes," Tristan said.

"Oh," Jake said, his eyebrows furrowing. "What did Ella say?"

Rory and Tristan exchanged another look. "Well, it's more of a three person decision. Our moving won't really affect your sister," Rory said. "How do you feel about moving? Because I know changing schools in the middle of high school isn't easy," she said.

"Would we move to North Carolina or Boston?" he asked.

Rory looked to Tristan. "Raleigh," she smiled softly at him.

"I think we should do it," Jake said.

Rory looked at her son in shock. "You do?"

"You're sure?" Tristan asked.

"It might be good," he nodded.

"You don't have to decide now, we're not going to decide now," Rory assured him.

"You'd be changing schools, leaving your friends," Tristan reminded.

"Do you guys not want to go?" Jake asked.

"Well," Rory said.

"It's not that," Tristan continued.

"It's just a big change," she finished.

"Right. Can I go?" Jake pointed to the door, ready to leave his bewildered parents. Clearly they had more to discuss.

"Sure," Rory nodded. "We'll leave in another hour, so be ready."

Jake nodded and left his parents alone. As soon as he got out the door, his grandmother was on him like white on rice.

"So?"

Jake shrugged. "We're moving to North Carolina."

"You're—what?" she asked, grabbing hold of his shoulders for support.

"Uh-oh," Will whispered into Anna's ear and took off to his mother's side.

"I misheard you. Try again," she instructed.

"Dad got a job offer. He had to choose between Boston and North Carolina."

"Mom, calm down," Will said.

"They're not completely decided, but they seem to be leaning toward Raleigh."

"I need to sit down. No, I need a drink. I need to sit down with a drink," Lorelai said as she walked zombie-like to the kitchen.

"This is for real?" Will asked.

Jake nodded. "I'm gonna call Els, to see what all they told her. We never get all the information—they have this tendency to think they told us both everything when they tell each of us part of the story—I want to find out her end."

Will nodded as his nephew wandered outside to call his sister on his cell phone. Anna rested her head on his shoulder. "Your mom is doing snake bites and yelling at Nic Cage about how the babies are just going to grow up and leave him," she giggled. "Care to explain?"

"I think this means we have to live in Stars Hollow for a very, very long time."

"Excuse me?" Anna asked, sounding as if this was news to her. "You want to live in Stars Hollow?"

"You don't?" he looked down into her eyes.

"You want to live in a place where our parents will be traipsing around our houses freely? Did you learn nothing from _Everybody Loves Raymond_?"

"What's wrong with having family around?"

"Nothing, on holidays and nice long visits when everyone packs up and goes home at the end of the visit."

"We live in Stars Hollow now," he pointed out.

"And how many times have they intruded on our privacy already? The wedding stuff?" she reminded.

"Ann, they're just adjusting. We can tell them that now that we're getting married, they have to respect our boundaries and give the keys back."

She raised an eyebrow at him. "You want to be the one to tell them all that?"

He looked at her for a beat. "Ann, come on," he said, gathering her into his arms. She held her torso stiffly as he attempted to coax her into agreement.

"Will, I'm serious."

"What do you want me to do? Start calling realtors in other cities? Is that far enough? You want to move to Seattle? Canada? How about putting a nice ocean between us and our relatives?"

"You're blowing this out of proportion," she warned, stepping back away from him.

"How am I supposed to take this kind of news? What's next, you want to tell me how many kids we're gonna have, where I'm going to work, and how many times a week we can have sex?"

"I'm sorry—clearly you have a grasp on the reality of this situation," she rolled her eyes.

"We're not married yet," he tossed back at her.

"What's that supposed to mean?" she asked.

"It means I have opinions, about my life, and I don't want them dismissed because they don't fit into your plan!" he half-yelled.

"Can we do this somewhere else?" she lowered her voice, looking around as they began to draw attention.

"Why? So you can tell everyone later that I made you move?"

"We'd tell them it was a joint decision!"

"It's not! Don't you get that?" he didn't care how loud his voice was getting now.

"What I don't get is why I agreed to marry someone that wants to act like a complete jerk to me in front of a room full of people!" she yelled back before turning on her heel and exiting the apartment, storming past a bewildered Jake, and getting into her car.

XXXX

"What was that?" Ella asked, her tears still flowing. Rosa had stuck her head in to hand off her ringing cell phone just moments before, and now she sat up in her roommate's bed with a very attentive boy watching her facial expressions as she spoke to her brother.

"Anna, she seems pissed," he cringed as her tires squealed, allowing her to peel out of the parking lot. Will came to the door within a second, watched her car go, and then closed the door; blocking out the noise of the party yet again.

"Did Mom make you call?" she sniffed.

"No, but I am sort of calling about her and Dad," he admitted. "What'd you really say when they told you about the move?"

"The what?" she asked, believing she'd misheard him.

"The move to Raleigh," he said. "Or did you vote for Boston? Not that you'd care, but I guess it'd be a shorter commute to school for you," he said.

"Jacob, what are you talking about?" she used his given name in an act of endearment. She and her mother were the only two that ever got away with calling him by that name these days.

"Dad got a job offer—didn't they tell you?"

"No! They copulated in my room, then left!" she said.

"God! Els!" he complained.

"At least your bed isn't covered in sweat and sex," she said, "I mean, it'd be different if it were mine," she admitted.

"Okay, I'm hanging up now, this is beyond gross. I need therapy because of this conversation," he warned.

"You're telling me they're really going?"

"I think so—you okay?" he asked.

"Just, call me when you know for sure?"

"I will," he said. Billy got out of his car just then, looking at Jake with reservation. Jake held out his phone, mouthing Ella's name. Billy just shook his head and went into his brother's apartment, not saying a word.

"That was weird," Jake said.

"I know! Why didn't they tell me?" she asked.

"No, Billy. I offered him the phone, and he blew me off," he said.

"We … broke up," she managed.

"Els, I'm sorry. God, why didn't Mom tell me?"

"She doesn't know," she sobbed. "No one does. Just, don't say anything, will you?"

"I promise. I'll call you soon."

"Thanks," she said, closing her cell phone and letting it slip under the sheets as she clutched at the pillow, crying now harder than ever before. Jasper stroked her hair, and looked up at Rosa, who'd kept the door open in attempts to gauge the gravity of the situation.

"Let me try," Pax said, slipping into the room around his friend. He stood at the side of the bed, staring at Jasper, having a silent conversation. He looked to Ella again and sighed. "I can help," he promised quietly.

Jasper nodded. "Ella?" he questioned, but she continued to squeeze her eyes shut, as if to slow the stream of hot tears that were running down her cheeks. She seemed to be unaware of this changing of the guard and didn't even flinch as Pax slid into the warm spot created by his still slightly tipsy friend.

Once the door was shut, and he made a mental note to thank Rosa properly at a later date, he reached out hesitantly and stroked her hair back off her face, as Jasper had. His fingertips brushed her cheek, the grainy moisture covering the pads of his fingers.

"Bad news from home?" he asked.

She just nodded. She took several deep breaths to steady her emotions, but the idea of having no home to go back to—no place to seek out normalcy in this time of evidently total upheaval—it was too much for her to manage to calm down.

"You want to be alone?"

She turned just enough to grasp at the front of his shirt. "Could you stay?" she sniffed.

He nodded. "I came to tell you a story."

She looked taken aback and pleased, even through her still apparent pain. "A story?"

"Now, it's not one you can go spreading around," he preceded the beginning.

She gave a small smile, so he continued. "I have a small scar."

"You aren't gonna get naked, are you?" she teased, her tears slowing at this point. He reached out to wipe more tears from across her cheek onto his forefinger.

"Will that make you stop crying?" he asked.

She gave a blush, but stared into his eyes. She noticed how there wasn't even a hint of hazel in the green of his irises. She wondered if his dilated pupils made them seem darker, or if they lit up like emeralds in the light of day. She figured she wouldn't know, as they were in a dimly lit room—only one side lamp turned on when Jasper entered the room earlier.

"It's in plain view," he admitted.

"I don't see it," she sniffed back the last of her tears as she examined the expanse of his skin visible to her.

He pointed to his left eyebrow. She peered at the area, and raised two fingers to it, moving the hair around slightly, until she found a very faint pink line that was normally obscured and too invisible at any distance—probably from age.

He smiled at her interest. "I was four, and I had the chicken pox. My mom had put oven mitts on my hands, and then wrapped duct tape around the wrists. She kept telling me I'd thank her later, because I wouldn't have any scars," he imparted.

"That's not from chicken pox," she said, noting the difference in the very distinctive shape.

"Very true. But I was home, because they didn't want to infect any more kids," he said.

"You gave it to all the others?"

"I did. And they did their best to keep us apart, to reduce the inventive methods of scratching—Rosa and Grey had a particularly good system."

"Well, they are twins," she gave a small laugh.

"Exactly. Never underestimate that kind of link," he shook his head as if remembering something specific. "Anyhow, we were quarantined from each other for the first time, and I was bored. My parents tried to keep me busy, even going as far as my dad letting me play at his desk. I was trying to climb up onto the desk, but I had no grip strength," he held up his hands, as if she could see the oven mitts still in place.

"What happened?"

He sighed. "I lost my footing and fell, hitting my forehead on the corner of the desk. I screamed bloody murder and my mom came flying in, freaking out, screaming about her baby, and checking my head, then she broke every traffic law getting me to the hospital. By the time I was all stitched up, my mom had calmed down, my father had gotten there—and convinced her that I needed two real hands, and she promised to remove the oven mitts. The nurses all thought it was cute, though," he smirked.

"Charming the ladies at three years of age, were you?"

"From birth, I'm told," he shrugged modestly.

"Of course," she gave a small smile. "Why can't I tell anyone? No one knows?"

He shook his head. "By the end of the two weeks, when we were deemed 'healthy', my eyebrow had started to grow back over the scar a little, and I was so proud of not having any pox scars," he said.

"So, you never told your harrowing tale," she nodded. "Why'd you tell me?"

"Because you asked me to," he said. "Do you feel any better?"

She let out a sigh. "My parents are moving. To Raleigh. They're leaving our house behind—I won't have a room or a home," her face began to fall again.

"I'm sure they'll fix you up a room in the new house."

"But it won't be mine, it won't be the same. I can't go there and feel relaxed—I can't go home like I wanted to now, to make everything all better," she said. "I must sound like a stupid child," she swallowed.

"No, but Ella," he sighed. "This is the time of your life that you get to make your own home, out of friends," he explained. "So that no matter where you are, you always feel surrounded by love and comfort."

She looked up at him in surprise. "Oh."

He smiled. "So, you want to stay in here, or head out and see if we can't help Rosa with Jas?"

"What about Grey?" she asked.

"Oh, he doesn't like to help with painting fingernails. Something about making him feel like less of a man."

She put her hand on Pax's chest. "I'm sorry—did you say Rosa was going to actually paint Jasper's fingernails?"

Pax smirked. "Just be glad she stopped him before he got to her underwear drawer," he tilted his head toward the door. "Come on, it'll be fun. I promise."

She threw back the covers, took his hand, and followed him into the main room, where she would entertain the notion of home.


	30. Chapter 30

Title: Peer Pressure

Summary: Fourth installment in the WHW series. A Trory, of course. And, you know a billion other pairings.

Rating: T, for teen. Because there are so many of them running about.

* * *

Lorelai rolled over onto her side, feeling Luke pull her into his chest firmly. She was plenty content to fall back to sleep in the warmth of his body and the sheets nestled around her. She was in the process of letting her mind go blank again when the memory of her grandson's words from the previous night popped into the forefront of her brain. Her eyes snapped open as Rory's sheepish face as she tried to explain the situation before she left the party flitted across her memory.

Then Will's face as he asked if he could stay at home for the night.

"Go back to sleep," Luke murmured in her ear. He could always feel when she was awake.

"Will's downstairs," she said.

"He's capable of getting up on his own, has been for years," he mumbled.

"That boy isn't going to get out of bed on his own today, and he has to get to school," she yawned.

"You're a good mother," he kissed the side of her head. "You stay here, I'll go get him up."

She turned to face him, putting her hand to his chest. "Be supportive. Encouraging. Tell him to think positive thoughts."

"Puppies and rainbows?" he yawned, throwing off the covers as he mocked her.

"Going about his normal routine is the best way to put this in perspective. They didn't break up, it was just a spat, and they'll both calm down."

"It's not your fault," Luke looked directly at her.

"It's a little my fault," she looked down. "I'm gonna talk to Sookie today, see what we can do to fix it."

Luke pulled jeans up over his boxer shorts. "It's not for you to fix, they just need to work through their own issues. I'm going down there to let him know what time it is. He's a grown man, he's capable of handling his own life. He doesn't need for anyone baby him or trick him into feeling better."

Lorelai held up her hands. "Fine. Do it your way," she gave him a look of trusted misgiving.

He let out a grunted agreement and headed down the stairs to find his son. He saw the closed door, and assuming he'd be fast asleep in bed, he didn't even consider knocking. When he walked into the room, he saw his son staring at the inlaid bookcases, still scattered with the random books and trophies that Will hadn't taken with him to his current residence. There were dark circles under his eyes, shadowing his face even darker than the five o'clock shadow that had grown in over the course of the night.

"Will?"

He blinked and snapped his eyes up to his father's face.

"Uh, it's seven. Don't you have an early class?"

Will made no indication of responding, save for rolling over on his other side, facing the window on the far side of the room.

"Will?"

"I'm not going."

"It's the first day of school. You love the first day of school."

"I'm not going, okay, Dad?"

"Look, Will," he sighed, moving around to look at his son's face.

"I don't want to hear it. I'm not going, and there's nothing you can say to make me get out of this bed."

"You just had a fight," he crouched down to make sure his words were heard.

"It wasn't just a fight," he barely whispered.

"It happens to everyone," Luke assured him. "When Sookie and Jackson were planning their wedding, he nearly called the whole thing off because Sookie had ordered mushroom dancers, and I slept alone in the diner apartment for over a week because your mom decided that I was an insensitive jerk for eating shrimp in front of her."

"What?" Will asked, clearly unsure as to what either of those things had to do with his predicament.

"She was pregnant, and all seafood made her nauseated. She didn't even have to smell it—seeing it sent her to the toilet. Don't make me explain about the mushroom dancers, I have no desire to get into my thoughts on that."

"So, why would you eat it in front of her if it made her sick?" he obeyed his father's wishes to put the image of dancing mushrooms out of his head.

"I wasn't!" he yelled, as if back in the moment, being interrogated by his hormonally driven fiancé. "She showed up, unannounced, what was I supposed to do? Throw out good shrimp?"

"Yes, yes, that's what you do, because this isn't some idiot off the street—this is the woman you love. You do things for her, things you don't want to do, like not even eating shrimp to take the chance until her hormones balance, you compromise. You taught me that, Dad. But you also taught me to respect family, and do what's right for everyone. And as much as I want to do right by her, I can't concede on everything. She's supposed to meet me halfway," he seemed to be getting more irate and less depressed as he spoke. Luke felt a swell of encouragement the more his rant grew.

"Go tell her that," he recommended.

His eyes seemed to fade back to their sullen glaze. "She won't want to see me."

"Will," Luke shook his head. "You just said so yourself—you have to do things that are best for the both of you," he reminded.

"Can you just leave me alone?" he asked pleadingly.

Luke let out a sigh of defeat. Clearly this was worse than he'd anticipated. He nodded and patted his son's leg. He made the slow trek back to his bedroom and saw his wife sitting up in bed, waiting.

"Call Sookie," he sighed, sitting down next to her.

Her eyes widened at the admission and request.

XXXX

Jasper awoke to the sight of sun-yellow flowers painted off-center on each of his now metallic purple fingernails. He blinked and tried to shift his hips in order to stretch, but there was too much weight holding him down. He swallowed, feeling the tightness of a dry mouth that normally resulted from tipping one too many cocktails back the night before, and peeled his hand off of his eyes.

Bright blue eyes met his. Very confused, concerned blue eyes. Azure, like the sky, the perfect compliment he would argue to his own that were akin to the clear waters of the Caribbean. If only his eyes were what were holding her gaze.

The familiar weight that held his legs and hips in place was Paxton, whose blonde locks he could see sticking out from under a pillow that served as a light block.

"This probably looks odd," he squinted.

"I just wanted to thank you," she began, shaking her head. "But then I thought I should make sure you were both breathing."

Jas kicked Pax, trying to rouse him from sleep. Pax wasn't the easiest person to wake— or the happiest person upon doing so either. He kicked back and groaned.

"You try," Jas asked of her as he tried to rub his hip.

"Good morning boys," she piped up the volume of her voice, and the pillow very slowly came down from over his face. She gave a smile at both of their attention being placed on her—and the look of near embarrassment they both gave her.

"Not to break up the slumber party," she began, "I just wanted to thank you guys for last night."

"We were glad to oblige," Jasper promised as Pax nodded and looked from his bunk mate to the girl standing in front of them. He looked back at Jasper, noticed his nail job, and picked up his friend's hand to examine it more closely.

"Huh," he began in a low tone, his voice still deep with sleep. "I did this?"

Ella nodded. "You did. Much to our disapproval," she added.

"Normally I'm much neater," he shook his head. "Not to mention a much better sense of color."

"This is reminiscent of your earlier work," Jasper examined them as well.

"Anyway. I should get going to class, but again, thanks. I don't know what I'd have done, without all you guys around, but especially you two," she acknowledged as she leaned down to plant a kiss on each boy's cheek. "Oh, but before I forget, I have something for you," she looked to Jasper, who shook Pax off and stood to follow her into her own bedroom. By the time she'd come out of Rosa's room the night before, her sheets had been removed and replaced, no sign of prior activities left in any form.

She took a jar of fingernail polish remover off her vanity and handed it to him. "I figured you might not want to go out into public like that."

"Can I take you out on a date?" he asked suddenly as their hands met around the bottle.

"Excuse me?" her eyes widened in surprise.

"Dinner, dancing, skydiving, you name it," he smiled uncontrollably.

"I, um," she blinked as he kept his fingers slightly overlapping hers. She tried to ignore the tingling that spread up her arm as she grappled with the question at hand.

"Is it too soon?" he asked, a tinge of concern in his voice.

She smiled easily, realizing that she had no good reason to say no to him. "I'd like that," she looked up into his eyes.

"Thank you," he held up the bottle, that she'd now let go of.

"You're welcome," not quite sure of what he was thanking her for.

XXXX

"Wait, you're really moving?" Ambrose asked again.

"Yeah," Jake said, holding his cell phone with his shoulder as he rifled through his desk drawers, trying to find his basketball shorts. "They're talking to a realtor first thing this morning."

"This sucks, I'm so sorry," he said.

"I don't think it'll be that bad," he replied honestly, surprising his best friend.

"Jake, you're going to have to start out at a new school, as a junior," he said.

"Exactly, it's like getting to go to college two years early. I can be anything I want, there's no preconceived stigma of who people think I am," he said.

"Is this about Jules? Seriously, she didn't tell anyone," he promised.

"It's not just about Jules. I mean, I shouldn't have even tried," he sighed. "I'm just tired of being who I am at that school."

"Just promise to share a few of those Southern belles with me, huh? You know I'll visit," he said good naturedly.

"I thought you were hot on the trail of college girls this year," Jake reminded.

"Who says I can't have both?" he asked.

"Ah, a realist, I love it," Jake joked.

"You want me to come up, help you pack?"

"Like you'll have a choice," Jake groaned. "Mom is going nuts, lists everywhere, planning on how many people it will take in what amount of time to get everything done. She doesn't want me to start late, so they're gonna try to get everything done before school starts in two weeks."

"If you need to crash here to get away from the insanity, let me know. I mean, Dad and Gwen are walking around being sickening, and Jules is all ga-ga over her boyfriend, but I mean, at least there aren't boxes and shit," he offered.

"Or we could go up to Yale, pay Ella a visit. You still grounded?"

"I think so, but I'm not sure," Am said. "Dad is so weird these days. I mean, I get that he feels bad punishing us about acting out with Mom, but it's like he has a really hard time staying pissed when Gwen is around. I think I might ask her to move in if he doesn't."

"You think she's moving in?"

"I don't think they've talked about it, but I think it'll happen. I know Dad thinks he has to talk to Mom first, clear it with us—but we're for it, and really Mom shouldn't get a vote."

"Weren't we complaining a couple years ago about how nothing ever happened in our lives?" he sighed.

"I think that ship has sailed," Am agreed.

XXXX

Gwen slipped out of the bathroom and reached for her jeans, in what she hoped was relative silence. Jess groaned as he rolled over, still tired after a night of junk food and a nearly lethal movie marathon filled with pausing, taking DVDs out of the player, and popping another in to scan forward to another scene just to answer the questions like, "See the way the mouth jags up like that? No one else can do that!" and "See, that tooth there. How it's darker than the others around it? Now look at this," they'd instruct as another DVD was placed in for comparison. Jess had taken as much as he could before confiscating all rentals and making the entire crowd watch _Almost Famous _for the gajillionth time. He warned if anyone ever spoke the name of either afore- and never-to-be-mentioned again actors to him, he would push them all off a roof into a shallow pool, just to be able to reenact his favorite scene from the film.

"What're you doin'?" he managed as he reached out one arm to the empty air, in hopes she'd move closer and take hold of him.

"I have to head back to my place, change before work," she explained.

"You should just keep some stuff here, this is crazy," he yawned.

She smiled softly. "Another conversation for another time," she grabbed his hand and crawled onto the bed far enough to kiss him quickly. "I have to get to work."

"You can be late, just this once," he pulled her in closer.

"I have to go," she pushed him back quickly and looked away. "I'm sorry, I just have a big thing today, a presentation," she said.

"Okay," he nodded, not saying a word about her odd and flustered response. "C'mere," he requested, pulling her in for one more lasting kiss. She breathed him in and leaned her forehead against his.

"We on for tonight?"

"Um, maybe, if everything runs smoothly. I might need to stay to do some damage control," she explained.

"As long as you're here on time Friday. If you aren't here, I can't be held responsible for any bodily damage I do to the guy that's gonna have his paws on my daughter," he looked to her, only wanting her promise.

"I would hate to have the death of an innocent boy on my head," she nodded, giving him one last quick kiss. "I have to go."

He nodded and pointed to the door. "Get out, and take those horrible movies with you," he pulled a pillow over his head after his last request.

She smiled at him, his carefree form as it lay sprawled out over the middle of the bed, where they'd been curled up together just minutes before. He had so much going on in his life, but he managed to look like the most laid back man in the whole world when he was with her. Content, even. This was going so well, she knew that beyond a shadow of a doubt.

She just hoped nothing would happen to change the course of things between them.

She took a mental picture of him just as he was and left the safety of the apartment, heading out into a world of harsher realities.

XXXX

"How is she?"

"Not good, Lorelai, and I have no idea what I'm going to do," Sookie whispered, lest anyone walk into the kitchen and overhear. "Billy's in the same state, like sympathy depression or something."

"Does that happen?"

"Maybe it's more like those old couples who die within days of each other."

"Or maybe they're both just having relationship drama," Lorelai suggested.

"I can't handle two at once! I should have made Jackson get that vasectomy way sooner," she groaned.

"Okay, well, since I can't do anything about that, how about we get a game plan? We'll knock Will and Anna out, then you just have to figure out what to do about Billy. I'm sure you and Rory can put your heads together after we're done," she offered.

"What do you know?"

"Well, you guys had left, and I was upset about hearing that Rory and Tristan are suddenly moving to Raleigh," she paused, the sting still recent of finding out about the abrupt decision, "but I did hear them yelling about her wanting to move away from here because of the constant disruptions of family, and him yelling back about wanting to be close and for her to respect what he wants."

"This is our fault?"

"Luke claims there are bigger forces at work," she offered.

"What do you think?"

"Fourth ring of hell, party of two?" she suggested.

"They belong together!"

"Agreed. Think you can get her out of the house?"

"I'd be happy if she would get out of bed," Sookie sighed.

"Me too," Lorelai confessed. "I think we have to tag-team this."

"How so?"

"Can you be here this afternoon?"

"Sure, but why?"

"Just be at my house at one o'clock," Lorelai said.

"I guess if they won't get out of bed, there's no reason for me to be here to watch over them," Sookie agreed.

XXXX

Rosa slid into the table across from her roommate, who was eating a sandwich while reading through a very thick textbook.

"How's the first day going?" she asked genially.

"I'm never going to get all this done!" she said, looking up.

Rosa giggled. "Sure you will," she dismissed the concern.

"No, I won't," she said. "You have no idea all the books I have to read by next week! Not to mention the papers that I need to start researching, and I've only been to two classes!" she impressed.

"Ella, calm down," she advised. "Take a breath, it's gonna be fine. You will get into a rhythm and find time for everything, like dating," she hinted.

"Dating? You think I'm ever going to have time to go on a date again? Forget it," she began the rant, "It's been fun getting to know you, but I'm going to be locked in my room, learning by osmosis when I'm asleep and worsening my eyesight with every waking moment for the next four years."

"Stop. Remember the breathing thing? In, out, in, good," Rosa smiled. "I don't want to talk about your reading load. I want to talk about Jasper," she encouraged.

"Jasper?"

"Ella! You have a date with Jasper!"

"I do," she nodded. "You're right, I do," she said in realization.

Rosa smiled. "You do. And I need details."

"He asked me out, that's all," she smiled softly.

"Come on! Those are not details!" she leaned over her tray.

"I woke the boys up and thanked them for being so sweet last night, when I was a mess," she shrugged, "And I gave him some nail polish remover, and he asked me out."

"He really likes you. I haven't seen him so focused in a long time," she admitted.

"This is focused?"

"On one girl, is all I meant. I know he tends to come off as a bit of a good-time, kick-back kind of guy, but he's actually very driven. It's only after he's had a few drinks that the wild child inside rears it's playful head," her eyes twinkled.

"You know him pretty well," Ella nodded. "Have you ever, you know," she hedged.

Rosa smiled. "Our group is strictly platonic. Well, I mean, there have been drunken nothings," she tilted her head to the side, as if considering such instances. "But those nothings would never turn into some-things. Especially sober some-things."

"Never?"

"It would please our parents way too much," she revealed.

"I see."

Rosa took a bite of her chicken and noted that Ella hadn't even noticed that her book had fallen shut. She seemed to be far off in thought again.

"Can I ask you a question?" she said after a moment of silence.

Ella nodded.

"Is Jasper the only guy you're interested in?"

Ella looked down at her sandwich. "You mean am I over Billy?"

Rosa shook her head. "I mean a certain fair-haired boy we both know," she hinted.

"Pax?"

"Well," Rosa raised her eyebrows.

"Pax didn't ask me out," she pointed out.

"Pax wouldn't, at least, not yet."

"What does that mean?"

"I've known these boys a long time," she began. "I know their signs. I know their stages of acceptance. Jasper isn't one to sit on things. Spontaneity is like an art form to him. Pax is the exact opposite. He internalizes things, even things he feels as instantly as Jasper does. He waits for right moments. He doesn't impede on things he sees as not his."

"Rosa," she sighed, shaking her head. "I think you've got the wrong idea. This isn't a love triangle. There isn't even a love pair. It's just a date. One date. That's all."

"I'm just saying, be careful. I love these guys, at times more than my own brother," she smiled rather wickedly. "I like you, I mean, I know we just met, but I hope you'll take what I said and think about it."

"I promise," Ella nodded, before catching sight of her watch. "Oh geez, not time for another one!" she exclaimed as she gathered her books and tray, balancing them precariously.

"Dinner, tonight?" Rosa called out.

"Count me in!" she yelled back over her shoulder as she headed off for her third class of the day, wondering when on earth she'd learn to balance all the aspects that college life seemed to be shooting at her from every direction.

XXXX

Lia stuck her head into her sister's room and frowned. She slipped the door shut silently, not wanting to draw more attention to the situation. Clearly something bad had happened last night at Dave's homecoming, but all she'd heard was raised voices and tires squealing. No one had really discussed details, and by the time she got home, the house was silent—both of her remaining siblings holed up in bed and their parents happily unaware of either of their misery.

"Ann?" she asked, moving to sit next to her sister on the bed.

She heard her sister's distinct sniffle, as if she was trying to remove all evidence of tears as she wiped at her eyes and turned to face her.

"What?"

"What happened?"

"Nothing," she lied, putting her head back down on her pillow.

"If it's nothing, shouldn't you be at your apartment, or at least getting up for class soon?"

"I don't feel well," she said.

"I can see that," she nudged her. "Want to talk?"

"No," she said. "I just want to lay here until it doesn't hurt anymore."

"Until what doesn't hurt?"

"The knowledge that last night I was engaged and now I'm not," she began to cry harder.

"What!" she exclaimed, seeking out her sister's left hand, but it was tucked under the covers protectively. "You called off the engagement?"

"Practically," she conceded. "We've never fought like that, in front of people, and if he really thinks those things," she shook her head.

"Why don't you talk to him, rationally. In private," she suggested.

"I can't face him," she shook her head hollowly. "Mom's already been in here, trying to get me to eat, to get out of the house, anything. I just want to be alone," she looked at her sister.

Lia sighed. "Fine. I'm gonna go check on Billy," she stood up. "Call if you need anything?"

Anna nodded. "What's wrong with Billy?"

"Same as you—the opposite sex."

Anna frowned and sat up. "Let me go."

"You don't want to get out of bed," she reminded.

"Misery loves company," she said as she reached her door and headed down the hall to check on her younger brother.


	31. Chapter 31

Title: Peer Pressure

Summary: Fourth installment in the WHW series. A Trory, of course. And, you know a billion other pairings.

Rating: T, for teen. Because there are so many of them running about.

Anna didn't knock, knowing her presence wasn't either wanted or unwanted. She just opened the door and walked over to the bed.

"Shove over."

Billy looked up and did as she said. She slid under the covers and leaned back against the pillows. "Wanna talk?"

"Nope."

"Good."

They stayed there for a beat in silence, each mulling over their own situation. "She broke up with me."

Anna looked to her little brother. "I'm sorry, Billy," she put one arm around his shoulders.

"Did you break up with Will?" he asked.

"No," she shook her head. "At least, I don't think so."

"Shouldn't you know?"

"How do you know? Do people actually say, 'I'm breaking up with you'?" she queried.

"Ella didn't. She said it was best if we were friends."

"Ouch," she pulled her knees up to her chest and wrapped her hands around them. Her left hand landed atop her right out of habit, and she stared at her ring.

"You're still engaged," he said.

"How do you know?"

"You're still wearing the ring," he said.

"That doesn't mean anything," she twisted it around on her finger.

"Yes, it does," came Lorelai's voice from the opened doorway.

Both of them looked up to their godmother, who was looking at them with sympathy. "I come not as the mother of the boy you're fighting with, but as your godmother. Can I come in?"

Anna nodded, but looked down at her ring.

"Now, since there is the matter that I am the mother of the boy you're fighting with, I can't help but feel a bit guilty about the whole thing."

"This isn't your fault," she said truthfully.

"Then tell him that."

"I can't."

"Why not?" Lorelai asked. "Isn't this just a big misunderstanding?"

"Not exactly," Anna said.

"Ann, Will is miserable. He's in bed, he won't go to class, he thinks you don't want the same things," she explained.

"Maybe we don't," she replied, tearing up again.

"Honey, you just need to talk about what you want—not just out of a wedding, but a life. I know you guys have known each other forever, and so maybe you didn't talk about it—thinking you already knew what the other wanted," Lorelai postulated.

"There are things that I shouldn't have to tell him," Anna sighed.

"That's now how these things work, as much as we wish they did," Lorelai shook her head.

"She's right," Billy said quietly. Both women looked to him. "I realize I don't have a lot of dating experience, but I think that if Ella and I had talked more about what we wanted, I wouldn't have found out that she was seeing another guy when I surprised her at school as she was coming back from a date," he said bitterly.

"She what?" Lorelai asked.

"My point is, you should talk to him now, before it's too late," Billy said, sinking back against the headboard.

"Honey," Lorelai put her hand over Anna's. "He's right. Talk to him. You'll both feel better, once you get things out in the open."

Anna bit her lip and looked at her. "Maybe," she consented. "Just, not quite yet."

"Take your time, he's not going anywhere. Just remember, that as miserable as you are, that's how he's feeling the whole time you're apart as well," she smiled softly. "Now, what is this about Ella dating someone else?"

XXXX

Sookie knocked at Will's door and held a tray of triple chocolate chunk brownies in her other hand. When he failed to respond, she opened the door and stepped inside.

"Will? I brought you something," she held out the brownies.

"I'm not hungry," he smiled forcibly, "it's not that I don't appreciate it, I just, can't," he sighed.

"I want you to know, I appreciate you wanting to stick around here," she sat down in the chair that inhabited the corner of the room.

"A lot of good that does me," he groaned.

"She loves you. I know that."

"She has a funny way of showing it. Ever since we got engaged, she's been freaking out or trying to take her mind off of it. How am I supposed to feel about that?"

"She's been through a lot in the last couple of years," Sookie said quietly.

"I know that!" he erupted, sitting up in bed. "I was there for her, I never pushed her!"

"I know! And she knows that, I think she's just overwhelmed," Sookie said with authority.

"I don't know how to do better than this," he let out the breath he'd held. "I just don't. And if it's not good enough, then she should find someone that makes her happy," he looked out the window as he spoke.

"Shouldn't you talk to her, before you go deciding what it is you both want?"

"I'm not ready to hear her say it's over," he said.

"For what it's worth," Sookie said, standing up and heading toward the door. "Your mom and I would understand if you two didn't end up living just down the street forever. We get that you need to create your own family," she sighed sadly. "I told Anna that this morning, and I just wanted you to hear it as well. We just feel awful. And I'll just leave the brownies for later, just in case you need a snack before talking to her."

"Sook?" he asked.

"Yeah?"

"Thanks. For everything."

"Anytime, honey. We just want you both to be happy."

He nodded as she left the room, rolled over, and pulled the covers up over his head. He should be sitting in his first class right this moment, learning obscure facts that were supposedly preparing him to go out into the business world—but instead he wondered if he'd ever have the heart to get out of bed to go and talk with Anna.

XXXX

Jess came out of his bedroom, completely dressed for work and whistling a low tune. He poured out some cereal into Jules' now empty bowl and began to eat handfuls out of it.

"What if I weren't done?"

"Isn't it your turn to do dishes?" he asked.

"Yeah, so?"

"Then be glad I'm not making more work for you," he pointed out.

She rolled her eyes at his logic. "What was with Gwen?"

"Huh?" he looked up from the paper as he munched another handful.

"She tried to bolt without a word, and I offered her food, and she said she was running late, and suddenly she looked like she was gonna break into tears."

Jess frowned and focused only on what she was saying. "And then?"

"Then she left. You two have another weird thing last night?"

"I think she's just stressed about her job," he shook his head, convincing himself.

"I don't think so, Dad, she loves her job, and she seemed all hormonal and stuff," she shrugged.

Jess frowned. "Maybe I'll stop by and take her to lunch," he decided out loud.

Jules smiled. "When are you just going to get it over with?"

"Get what over with?"

She rolled her eyes and smiled. "You know," she led.

"I really don't," he failed to follow her line of thinking.

"Ambrose and I were talking about it, and we're okay, if you want to marry her."

Jess looked like she'd just thrown a fire dart at his head. "Do I get a say in this?"

"You don't want to marry her?"

"Jules, I'm not discussing this with you."

"I'm not a child!"

"Well, you're my child," he began.

"I'm old enough to hear about this," she protested.

"There's nothing to tell!"

"But you love her! And she's great," she pointed out.

"Yes, but Jules, I just got divorced, after being married for eighteen years. I know you can't grasp exactly what it was like, and I don't want you to think that being married to your mom made me want to never get married again," he shook his head. "I loved your mom. I loved being married to her, for a long time. It's just not something I'm ready to jump back into."

Jules nodded silently.

"But," he sighed. "It's nice to hear, that you two approve."

"We want you to be happy," she shrugged. "She seems to make you happy."

Jess moved forward to kiss her forehead. "She does. We're just easing into this, so promise me you won't worry about it. And tell Am that having her around won't decrease his grounding."

Jules smiled. "Will do," she said as her father grabbed his messenger bag and headed out to work.

XXXX

Rory and Tristan had been left in the realtor's office with a stack of internet printouts for homes in the Raleigh area that matched their criteria, so they could get a list going for homes to see on their initial trip down in a couple of days. She was putting nearly every possibility into the discard pile she'd created, the 'maybe' pile having only two sheets to its name.

"What's wrong with that one?" he asked.

"It has a pool."

"So?"

"So, are you going to clean the pool?"

"We'll hire someone," he shrugged.

"I get a pool boy?" her eyebrows raised teasingly.

He took the paper out of her hands and put it in the no pile. She giggled a bit more as she picked up the next paper and promptly disregarded it.

"So, are you going to tell me what your mother said, or are we just going to play this game until there are no houses you're remotely interested in, in the entire state of North Carolina?"

Rory sighed. "She's so hurt," she shrugged. "I told her that we were still processing it ourselves, and that it wouldn't change how much we saw her," she trailed off, clearly not believing it herself.

"We can visit just as often as before," he promised.

She looked up at him, wanting to believe his words. "And then she told me I needed to stay close to Ella, since she had broken up with Billy after having cheated on him," she said slowly.

"She broke up with him?"

"Tristan!" Rory looked up, appalled at what he chose to focus on. A bit too gleefully, at that.

"I'm sure she didn't cheat on him."

"You saw how chummy she was with those boys. How comfortable they were in her room. Maybe she sought solace in one of them, they had been fighting," she shrugged. "Anyway, I need to talk to Ella."

"Agreed," he nodded and picked up another printout. "How about this one?"

She took the paper from him and her mouth dropped. "We have to see this one! It has a picket fence!"

"And no pool," he pointed out.

"I've always wanted a picket fence," she said.

"Since when?"

"Since I was a little girl."

"Something you read about in a book, no doubt?" he raised an amused eyebrow.

"I thought it was made of picket line signs," she lowered her eyelashes in an embarrassment she seemed to enjoy. "Protestors had been in the town square picketing the use of chemical dyes on the Easter eggs for the annual hunt, just before I read about it, and I just figured that's what it had to be."

"You do realize this is a real fence?" he held up the paper again.

She rolled her eyes. "You don't say."

"If you wanted one, why didn't you tell me? We could have had one all these years."

She shrugged. "Our house isn't a picket fence house. This," she held up the picture, "is a picket fence house. Look at those shutters!"

"At least we have a winner," he put it into the maybe column, and she moved it to the other side, creating a third pile.

"A must-see," she explained. "Don't you think?"

"I think you're not going to hear a lot of argument out of me about the whole house thing," he imparted.

"You are going to hold back your opinions? Is this like an early Christmas present?" she teased, her eyes lighting up with glee.

"You have to spend a lot more time there, for a while at least, it's important that you love it. It's just important for me that you are there."

She put her hand over his and squeezed. "No where else I'd rather be."

XXXX

Jess walked off the elevator and made the few short turns down the corridor toward Gwen's office. He saw her door was open, and he smiled as he leaned in the door frame. She was sitting behind her desk, typing quickly. A fresh bouquet of flowers was beautifully arranged on her desk and an opened box of candy was perched on her monitor, into which she extracted a chocolate-covered something and popped it into her mouth mindlessly.

"Should I be concerned?" he asked, making her jump in her seat as she turned to face him.

"You scared me!"

"I'm not the one with a secret admirer," he touched the soft rose petals with one hand, tracing down to the still-thorned stem.

"They're from Tristan," she smiled. "The note said they were for freeing you so selflessly."

Jess smirked. "He have better taste than me?"

"Well, you know me. I'm easy for any guy that sends me chocolate and roses."

"I'll remember that," he nodded. "How was your presentation?"

"I haven't done it yet," she said quickly. "Was I expecting you?"

He shook his head. "No. I just thought," he sat on the edge of her desk closest to her. "Jules thought you seemed odd, and you were a little freaked out this morning. Thought I'd take you to lunch. You need more than chocolate for lunch to impress the clients," he put the top back on the box.

"I'd love to, I just have too much to do," she turned back to her computer.

"Did something happen?" he asked, growing more concerned by her flippant attitude.

"I'm not sure," she bit the inside of her cheek, willing her eyes to remain focused on her computer screen. He moved to shut her door and came back to crouch beside her chair. She swiveled in so he was kneeling between her legs.

"I didn't want to tell you," she swallowed.

"Tell me what?" the color drained from his face. He prepared himself for the worst, not even sure what that could be other than her not with him anymore. Fear like he'd never known flooded through his veins.

"I'm late."

He stared into her eyes. "We aren't talking about work here, are we?"

She shook her head. "I was going to take a test, today," she bit her lip. "I figured it wasn't worth worrying you, if it turned out to be nothing."

"Oh."

"It's probably nothing."

"How long, I mean, how late are you?"

"Nine days."

His eyes closed. "Is that?"

"Unusual. Very unusual."

"Right," he nodded. "Can I do anything?"

She shook her head. "I don't think you peeing on the stick will do either of us any good," she gave a small smile.

"Can I be there?"

"Jess, that's sweet, but," she breathed.

"But what?"

"You don't have to," she felt his hand engulf the two of hers that were clasped together in her lap.

"I've never been there, for the moment when it's really real. Erin always knew before I did, did it on her own," he frowned. "I want to be there, either way."

"Okay," she whispered, realizing not for the first time what a bomb this had to be on his life. Here he was, nearly done raising two kids, and she presented him with the possibility of having to start all over again. "I've been too nervous, to go," she said.

"Let's go get something to eat, pump about a gallon of water into you," he made an attempt at humor.

"I'm terrified," she admitted as he pulled her to her feet. She looked up into his eyes, searching for what lay beneath the comfort and love.

"I'm not going anywhere," he promised, sliding his hand into the small of her back as they approached the door to her office. "Let's just take this one thing at a time. Right now, you need a full bladder, so let's just concentrate on that."

She smiled and slid her arm around his waist, much more relieved to share this with him instead of holding it in as she had for the last three days. If only she could take his advice and keep her mind on the task at hand, instead of postulating what might and might not befall her based on the results of a single question test.

XXXX

"At least I never got caught sneaking back into the house, drunk and half-dressed—not to mention half of what you were wearing wasn't even yours," Grey laughed as they sat around the table, half-filled plates of food on everyone's trays. Ella was laughing so hard her cheeks and ribs hurt. Tears were streaming down Rosa's face, over sheer indigence.

"Like you weren't sneaking into your window at the same time! They just happened to be in my room at that second," she threw a bit of bread at her brother, who was miming her words back at her.

"Your mother was just concerned that you'd be corrupted," Jasper said, easily putting his arm around the back of Ella's chair, "It's not like she was really going to ship you off to that convent." She stiffened slightly at the gesture as his arm brushed against her shoulders, and she raised her eyes up to see that Pax was gazing at the point of juncture of their bodies. He flitted his eyes to hers for a moment, then away altogether.

"Then she shouldn't have let me anywhere near the three of you," Rosa was still giggling. "And she had lots of brochures from that convent, for someone who had no intention of sending me. She even had a nun come to the house, to talk to me about my future with God."

"Your parents don't realize that you're all up to no good when you're together?" Ella asked, feigning shock.

The boys all called out, "Oooh," in a chorus. Jasper shook his head. "I'm hurt at the insinuation. We're out to do good, we can't help it if our activities are mistaken by the ignorant masses."

"That's right," Rosa said. "Besides, they figure we can't get into too much trouble in the group—too many watchful eyes prevent the truly stupid from happening."

"So, stealing that jet ski and chartering a jet without permission don't count as truly stupid?" Greyson asked Jasper.

"I needed that jet," he argued. "Without it, we'd have never gotten those fake IDs, and then we'd have been screwed for fun during spring break."

"You guys have fake IDs?" Ella asked in a low whisper.

"We can get you covered, if you like," he assured her.

"Oh, well," she said, as if considering the necessity of the item for the first time.

"Do you even drink?" Pax asked suddenly. He'd been quiet up to this point, generally just listening to old stories being told and new quips being thrown about. Ella looked generally more relaxed than she had upon walking into the dining hall—except when she locked in on his green eyes.

"Who doesn't drink?" Grey asked, with a smirk set on his face.

"Ella just doesn't strike me as the type that drinks," Pax announced.

Rosa looked quickly from Pax to Jasper to Ella, wishing she could kick her longtime friend in the shins, but her legs were too short to reach at this distance.

"How about we get out of here and head back over to the adult bookstore on Elm to see if Arnie's working?" Rosa asked. "I've missed his stories."

"Aren't you going to answer me?" Pax asked, not having looked away from her, almost daring her to match his endurance.

"I don't drink a lot," she said, shifting in her seat.

"Why does it matter?" Jasper asked, not oblivious to the odd vibe that was passing between the pair on opposite sides of the table.

"It doesn't," Ella said. "It's just most of the parties I went to had kegs of the most foul beer, and I don't like beer," she explained.

"Have Grey mix you a Mojito at our next gathering," Jasper advised. "His specialty. It'll change your life."

"Indeed, you are too kind," Grey raised a glass of water to his friend, nodding before taking a long swig.

"So, bookstore?" Rosa asked, desperate to break the insurmountable tension that seemed to have surrounded their table, binding and blocking the interactions of those seated around it.

"You'll love Arnie," Jasper encouraged Ella before he stood up to take his tray over to the stacked metal carts. She hung back as Pax stood leisurely, clearly not in a hurry to catch up with the main of the group.

"What is your problem?" she asked in hushed tones, trying to busy herself with arranging her personal effects off of her tray. She shoved her student ID into her back jeans pocket and looked up just long enough to glare at him.

"Do you even want to go to an adult bookstore? My guess is you'll see one butt plug and keel over from embarrassment," he theorized.

"I'm going to hold back judgment about how intimate you are with things shoved up your ass," she threatened.

"Ooh, did I strike a nerve?"

"You think I'm innocent, is that it?"

He shrugged. "No one said it was a bad thing."

"Well, then you should work on your intonations," she advised.

"Why didn't you tell me?" he asked.

"Tell you what?"

"You're dating Jasper," he said, as if she should have been aware of the topic at hand all along.

"I'm not!"

He raised an eyebrow.

"Okay, I mean, I agreed to go out with him, but I haven't even seen you since then. Was I supposed to sit down at the table and announce it to the group?"

He rolled his eyes.

"I mean, clearly you knew by then anyhow. Is anything a secret in this group?"

"You want to hide something?" he asked, and she could feel her pulse quicken at his new tone. It wasn't childish or aggressive—it was captivating.

"No!"

"Good. So, I'm glad I helped get you over your boyfriend, now you're free to have another."

"Jasper isn't my boyfriend! I don't want a boyfriend, I want to be free to date whomever I want," she said.

"You mean that?"

"No, I just spout off mistruths for kicks," she crossed her arms over her chest.

"You two coming?" Grey called out as the other three were nearly out of the main entrance and they'd only just reached the tray depository.

"I'm actually going to go, I have a lot of studying to do," Ella said, not meeting either boy's eyes.

"I have to run by my room, but I'll catch up," Pax said, stepping off to move in the opposite direction.

"Why don't I come with?" Rosa asked Pax.

"You go with them, I'll catch up," he insisted.

"See you guys," Ella smiled quickly, stepping to move away from the crowd.

"Hey," Jas stepped up and lightly touched her elbow. "I'll call you later, to set up details, I have a brilliant idea."

She smiled softly. "I'd like that. Bye," she waved to the group and headed toward the comfort of her empty room. She needed peace and quiet and the solace of falling into the written words on each page, no matter how blandly they were pieced together. She was running the conversation she'd had with Pax through her head, against her wishes, the duration of the short walk back. When she got back to the so-called security of her room, she found Pax resting against the locked outer door.

"What are you doing here?"

"I left my wallet here," he lied.

"How do you know?"

"Let me in," he asked.

"You have more to say?" she queried.

"Ella," he groaned. "Please, I don't have long."

"Fine," she opened the door and ushered him in with a flourish. "Can I help you look?"

He shut the door behind them and moved to stand next to where she was bent over, looking into the couch cushions. He dangled his wallet in front of her before replacing it into his back pocket.

"God!" she turned to face him. "What do you want? A run down of my vices? I don't normally drink, I don't smoke, unless I have had too much to drink, I love coffee, my biggest pet peeve is when people try to quote famous lines and get the words wrong," she rambled.

"Good to know," he furrowed his brow. "But what I wanted was to know what your plans for Saturday were."

"Saturday?"

"Yes," he smiled, trying to break her out of her overlaying hostility he'd evoked minutes earlier.

"Is there some sort of public forum you were planning on embarrassing me at?"

"Unless I start misquoting trite clichés, I was just thinking dinner."

"You want me to go to dinner with you."

"Yes."

"Just you and me."

"I find three's a crowd on dates. And anything more is just obscene."

"A date?"

"You're familiar with the concept? You spend hours getting ready, putting on things that would take me seconds to dismantle, I pick you up, pay for your fare, hopefully you at least crack a smile in the duration."

"You are presumptuous."

"I've been called worse," he smirked.

"I just broke up with my boyfriend."

"And accepted a date with someone else, and proclaimed to just be open to dating in general."

She let out a tired sigh. "Okay, but wouldn't it be awkward?"

"What?"

"Us. Dating. With my other, arrangement," she hedged.

"Would it make you feel better if I said I wouldn't rule out dating other people as well?"

She frowned. "Oh. Well. I guess," she sounded as if she were trying to get excited about having painful dental surgery, but her words came out in the order that her brain instructed.

"Fine," he nodded, stepping closer to her. Her heart sped up and for a moment she entertained what it would be like if he grabbed her, pulled her against him, and kissed her with all he had within him. "It's just dinner," he whispered into her ear. "Enjoy your studying."

"Right," she nodded, having no other words. She wasn't even sure what compelled her to agree to this—her mind was screaming out all the reasons this was a bad idea, but for whatever reason she couldn't bring herself to argue with his logic. Before a valid argument could be formed on her tongue, he was gone, and the likelihood of her having time alone with him to back out between now and then was slim to none.

She sat down and stared at her open book. After a few minutes of unsuccessfully trying to read the first paragraph—the words falling out of order in her mind as soon as her eyes skimmed over them on the page, she picked up her phone and dialed.

"Mom?"


	32. Chapter 32

Title: Peer Pressure

Summary: Fourth installment in the WHW series. A Trory, of course. And, you know a billion other pairings.

Rating: T, for teen. Because there are so many of them running about.

"Ella, good, I was going to call you later," Rory said, looking to her husband with a look of relief and panic. She was the only person he had ever seen that could blend those with such ease.

"Can we skip the fight over the fact that you two are considering moving out of state without telling me? I just need some advice."

"Sure, Els, but if this is about feeling guilty about cheating on Billy," she began.

"What? I didn't cheat on Billy! Where did you hear that?"

"Calm down, you're young, you went on a date—was it that blonde guy? Billy said you came back with a blonde, preppy guy."

"He told my mother on me?" she exclaimed.

"No, he told your grandmother. Lorelai called me to pass on her distaste for our moving."

"Wait, you're really moving?" Ella asked.

"We're looking at houses in Raleigh right now, while the agent puts our house on the market. Your father is going to tell his boss this afternoon."

Silence met the admission. Rory heard a slight sniffle, then Ella spoke up quietly. "I didn't cheat on Billy. I had gone out for coffee with Pax, that's all. He didn't believe me, we fought, and I told him I wanted to break it off."

"Oh, Els, I'm sorry," Rory sighed. "You want me to come up?"

"You're busy, with the house and all, I just called because I don't know what to do," she began to cry softly.

"I know this is your first real break up, Hon, those are the hardest to get over," she advised.

"It's not that—it's the other guys."

Rory's face paled a bit. "The other guys?"

"Jasper, you met him, he sort of asked me out, and I said yes. I don't want to wallow on the fact that I'm suddenly single, I wanted to go out with anyone I choose, not be tied down," she explained.

"That's perfectly normal."

"But then Pax asked me out."

"Aren't they really good friends?"

"Exactly! Pax asked me, and he made it sound like it was my idea! Before I knew it, I was saying yes. Mom, I have a date with Jasper on Friday and Pax on Saturday, and how on earth am I going to do this? I don't want to make them fight."

"Let them deal with that," Rory advised. "Are you serious about either of them?" she prayed for a negative response.

"I just met both of them," Ella said.

"That's not what I asked."

"I don't know. Each one is so different, I mean, I am drawn to different things about each one. I'm not serious about either of them, no."

"Then just act like you're not dating either of them when you're with the group, and don't discuss the other on your dates."

"You make it sound easy."

"I've heard your father explain how he pulled such behavior off," Rory giggled.

"You are coming for Parent's Day, aren't you?" Ella asked.

"We wouldn't miss it."

"Won't you be in the middle of moving? It's like two weeks away."

"We will be there, moving or locusts or raining frogs."

"Okay. Thanks, Mom."

"You're welcome. Call anytime. And don't do anything I wouldn't do."

"I gotta study. Tell Daddy hi."

"I will."

Ella hung up the phone and stared at her book, wondering how long of a reprieve she'd have while the others were gone. If there were miracles, perhaps Rosa would come back alone, completely unaware of the new development. She groaned and put her head onto her open book, realizing she might as well just write all over their walls that she was dating both boys.

"How is she?" Tristan asked.

"Popular."

Tristan raised his eyebrows.

"Remember those boys you approved of?"

He nodded.

"She's dating, like, all of them."

"All of them?" he asked.

Rory nodded. "Well, two of them. She didn't mention the third one. Yet."

"I should just sit here and continue figuring this out, right? Not storm up there and hire a bodyguard to fend off all interested boys?"

Rory put her hand on his arm. "You like those boys, remember?"

"Right," he groaned, as Rory handed him a few more printouts to leaf over.

XXXX

Jess smiled as Gwen took another long drink of water. They'd been sitting in the back of the café for twenty minutes, speaking in small, sporadic spurts.

"I just, don't have to go yet."

"I'm sorry. This is just … odd."

"I know. And I need to get back, I have that presentation at two anyway."

"Right. Can I meet you somewhere, after?"

"You know they say the best time is early in the morning. I'll just do it first thing tomorrow morning, and then you can come over on your way to work," she offered.

He shook his head. "I want to be there, spend the night at my house."

"With Jules and Ambrose there?"

"They live there."

"Do you really want them to accidentally see the remains of the test?"

Jess was silent for a moment, pulling his hand over his face. "It's not something we can hide, if you are," he said.

"But if I'm not," she said in kind.

"We should talk about this," he reached out for her hand.

"What do you want me to say? I didn't plan this," she shook her head.

Jess smiled softly. "These things often aren't planned."

"Why are you smiling? You want this? You have two nearly grown children," she informed him in a hushed whisper.

"I'm aware of that," he said. "What does that have to do with anything?"

"You're done, Jess. You've done your duty—you're telling me you want to start over right now? At this point in your life?"

"Geez, I'm not so old I can't pick up a baby, or run around with a toddler—I had my kids young. And yes, the light of them being on their own is starting to shine on the other end of that tunnel, but I never said I was just counting down the days til Jules goes off for college, either."

"I didn't say you were old," she smiled.

"I'm only a few years older than you. And you are in prime child-bearing years," he reminded.

"Obviously," she rolled her eyes.

"And I figured it would be an issue, at some point. You do want kids, don't you?"

Gwen looked down. "I do. When the time is right."

"What would make the time right?"

"We aren't married, and you can't tell me you're ready to get married again."

He leaned across the table and reached up to stroke her cheek with his palm. "Here's the thing. In a general sense, when Erin left, I wanted to retreat into myself and focus solely on breathing and making sure my kids were breathing. I thought it best to play it safe, accept my role, and look straight ahead. In a general sense, I thought my time for being happy with someone was now over."

She nodded. She'd watched him make the transition from caring for only his kids to caring for himself, and she knew, for her.

"But the thing is this: when the right thing comes along, you have to be crazy not to reach out and grab it. So even though I wasn't ready to start dating again, I had to ask you out. Even though I'm not ready for us to move in together, it's all I've been thinking about lately. And yeah, it's not the best timing for you to be pregnant, but the idea of it? I can't get the image out of my head of us and," he swallowed.

She nodded. "A baby."

"Yeah."

"Jess," she sighed. "Fine. I'll come over tonight. But if one of the kids finds out what we're doing," she began.

"Then I'll talk to them. It's my job."

"Our job. I'm one-half the guilty party here," she smiled.

"Let's get you back to work," he stood up and helped her to her feet. He looked at her as he slid his arm around her shoulders. "How 'bout now?"

"Still nothing," she shook her head as they made their way to the front door of the café out and out onto the busy streets.

XXXX

"Who ate the last S'mores Pop Tarts?" Lorelai called out as she rummaged through the kitchen, in their normal resting place.

Luke came in through the hallway. "What, you think I had an aneurysm and had to have disgusting chocolaty goo?"

She sighed, looked to the bedroom door of the edge of the kitchen and sighed. She threw open the door and looked at the foil packets that were littered around the edge of his bed.

"That's it! Up, get up, out of bed!"

Will looked at his mother. "I've been out of bed."

She held the empty box upside down. "To pilfer my stash?"

"I'm upset. Who do you think taught me to eat like this?"

"Well, your sister is moving to a state that seceded from the Union, and let's face it, can't be trusted not to do so again, then we'd be living in separate countries! I need my Pop Tarts!"

"What do you want me to do about it?"

"Go to the market and get me more!"

"Mom!"

"I mean it! I need to wallow, and I can't wallow without those! I know you're upset, but if you were feeling good enough to get up and find Pop Tarts, then you are capable of pulling yourself together long enough to march down to the store."

"Fine," he said, throwing back the covers and sliding his jeans up over his boxers. She tossed a clean T-shirt at his head, and he exchanged them. "I can't believe you're making me do this," he grunted.

"More like your father, every day," she pointed at the door, which he grabbed his wallet and stormed through.

"Where is he going?" Luke asked. "To talk to Anna?"

"Rory's moving to North Carolina. I need junk food."

"Why aren't you going to get it?"

"I did! And he ate it! So he's going to replace what he consumed."

Luke pulled her into his arms, a temporary comfort before the sugar could soak into her bloodstream. "Everything's gonna be okay."

"Keep telling me that," she closed her eyes and wrapped her arms around his torso.

XXXX

Ella looked up as Rosa came into her room and flopped down onto the bed. She tapped her pencil against her text book as Rosa took off her light hoodie and crossed her legs, clearly settling in for a chat.

"I'm studying."

"Oh, I think you'll take a break," Rosa said.

Ella looked back up at her. "You know?"

"Of course I know!"

Ella stood and moved to sit across from her roommate on the bed. "He told you? I can't believe it!"

"No, he didn't tell me! But come on. He had to get something? Conveniently timed for when you're leaving, lasting how long it would take for you to swoon and say yes?"

"I did not swoon!"

"Come on, he can be charming," Rosa prodded.

Ella smiled. "Well, if by charming you mean infuriating to no end, then yes, he can be."

"You said yes."

"I did."

"Are you insane?"

"What is the big deal?" she feigned ignorance.

"The big deal is that now they are in competition. They've never been in direct competition before. This is bad, very, very bad. Neither of them likes to lose."

"This is not a race! The first one to kiss me doesn't get a trophy! Do I look like a trophy to you?"

Rosa examined her for a moment, taking her time in an elongated silence as she chewed on her lip, trying to decide.

Ella reached out and smacked her arm. "Stop that!"

"You asked," Rosa giggled. "It doesn't matter that you don't see this as a competition as to which boy will win. They will—no matter how much they deny it. They'll continue to try to one up each other, and do you really want them trying to win your affections solely to be able to declare the other trumped?"

"They'd do that?" Ella asked in disgust.

"Not consciously, no, but let's face it—Pax didn't like the touching earlier—he all but had a spasm. How well do you think Jas will like hearing that Pax took you to Paris one weekend? He'll turn around and take you to Vegas the next week and make plans to take you skiing on Spring Break. This will go on and on, until you implode. Or I kill you. Because I can only watch this for so long," she said seriously.

"Paris?" Ella asked.

"Focus," Rosa pointed at her eyes.

"But seriously, you were exaggerating there, right?"

"No," Rosa frowned. "Listen, I get that you're confused, they're both great guys. Just promise me that you won't draw this out too long."

"Did you ever consider that they might bore of me after one date each, and we'd all have a good laugh about this in a month?"

Rosa smiled softly. "Well, that would make my world a whole lot easier."

"Okay, maybe one of them will do something I find disgusting, and I can't even bear to let the plane touch down in Paris, I just order the pilot to turn around."

"Never gonna happen—they gotta refuel," Rosa shook her head as the phone rang. She watched as Ella answered and then the smile that came over her face. She giggled.

"No, now is fine. Just Rosa," she giggled again. "Here," she held the phone out.

"Jas?" Rosa asked.

"Leave so I can be sure she's really doing naughty things on her end of the line," he instructed.

"God!" Rosa threw the phone at Ella. "I'm leaving," she bid her leave.

"What'd you say to her?"

"Nothing," he balked.

"Sure," she sighed. "How was the adult bookstore?"

"Enthralling, as always. I got you something."

"At an adult bookstore? You shouldn't have," she assured.

"You'll love it. I saw it, and I instantly thought of you. It's shiny."

"And here I haven't bought you anything," she kept the mood light, hoping he was kidding.

"All I ask is to be graced with your presence," he promised.

"Can I ask you something?"

"Anything. I am an open book."

"So you've said," she hedged. "Are you, dating anyone else?"

"I haven't even seen another woman in my view since you stepped into my life."

Ella smiled at the sentiment, wondering if he truly meant all these things, or if he was exceptionally good at laying it on thick. As she wondered, she realized she'd paused too long.

"I don't mean to scare you off, and I get that you just broke up with your boyfriend. How long were you with him?"

"Eight months," she revealed.

"I don't expect you to be gung ho right away, but I like you, and I don't plan on hiding that," he began. She was listening to him until a loud rapping at her window began. She looked up instantly, moving to grab her knee-high stiletto boot as a weapon as she moved toward the window. She saw the familiar style of Pax's hair outlined against the pane.

"That's sweet, and I appreciate it, but I should get back to studying," she lied, realizing from the look on Pax's face that he wanted in.

"Is everything okay?"

"Yes, I'm fine. Just buried under about a thousand pages of reading, and I really don't want to put it off til this weekend. I want to have a guilt-free date," she promised.

"Just the answer I was looking for," he said, letting her off the phone. She threw it down on her bed and opened the latch.

"Gonna beat me to death with a suede boot?" he asked, clearly more amused than afraid.

"Be glad I didn't pack that baseball bat my godfather tried to talk me into," she pointed the heel at him.

"Baseball bat? Sounds like the Godfather," he joked.

"What are you doing here? Gonna talk me into doing something else with you?"

"Talk you into? If you don't want the pleasure of my company, just say so. I'll leave," he offered, putting his foot back up on her windowsill. She reached out to put her hand on his arm, stopping him with full effect.

He smiled. "See? You can't keep your hands off me," he informed her.

"Seriously, I have a lot of studying to do."

"I can see that," he looked over to the large stack of marked off books she had accumulated. "If you remember, I carried all of those back from the U-bookstore for you."

"Back for your tip?" she asked.

"I never turn one down," he said.

"I don't have any money."

"I'm sure we could work something out," he moved closer to her.

"Pax," her eyes closed just as her hand came in contact with his chest, pushing him lightly away.

"What?" he asked softly.

"I just don't think," she looked up at him, regret filling her eyes.

"You want me to kiss you, I can see it—hell, I can feel it," he trailed one hand down her arm, the other moving up her opposite arm.

"It's not a question of want," she breathed.

"What is it?"

"Jasper," she looked up at him.

"I don't want to kiss Jasper," he smirked. "But you do?"

"I promised him a date first, and I don't want anything to happen with you, to take away from that promise. I need to keep you two completely separate," she explained.

"We are—he's not here now."

"Pax, Saturday, I'm all yours."

"In the mean time, you're his?"

"In the mean time, I'm no one's," she shook her head. "I want to be able to hang out with everyone, as a group, with no tell-tale signs that I've dated either of you."

"You don't know what you're asking," he began.

"But I'm asking for it, none the less. I'll tell Jasper the same thing. Date nights are date nights, but all others, I'm free. It's what I want."

He sighed. "You don't even want to try it the other way first, see how much fun it is?"

She smiled. "I have no doubts about that. This is how it is."

He nodded. "Should I leave the way I came in, just in case?"

"If you don't mind. If Rosa sees you, she'll be in here all night, and I have to get through at least one of these books."

He smirked. "I'll go out and come back in the proper way. I need to talk to her about something. You study," he instructed, as if she might falter now.

She smiled. "I'm on it."

"That you are," he agreed and let himself out of her window and walked around toward the front of her building, to where he could enter the suite properly. She sighed and flopped down on her bed, facedown, and groaned into the mattress. All she could think of was the heat that flowed between them when he was about to kiss her, and the amount of sheer willpower it'd taken to stop him.

"Stupid, stupid, stupid," she muttered to herself. Her mind flicked to her ability to be so attracted to Pax five seconds after being captivated at Jasper's words and declarations.

"I'm so screwed," she pulled a pillow over her face and allowed all the groans to come out of her, trapped forever into the pillow she'd have sweet dreams on for weeks to come.

XXXX

Will came around the corner from the market, purchase in hand, muttering about how he couldn't believe the insensitivity of his mother and how she's set him loose to a pack of wolves. Ten people in the market alone had given him condolences for losing Anna—not to count the people that nearly prohibited him altogether from getting to the market by inviting him to their house for a cup of tea and a good cry.

He was going to sit and eat every last Pop Tart that he held in the bag, right in front of his mother. Make her watch, then if she wanted more Pop Tarts, she could go get them herself. He was going into a sugar-high hiding, and that was final.

The only thing that brought him out of his staring at his shoes as he talked to himself trance was the solid form that he quite literally ran into on the other side of the corner. His hands reached out to steady him and his victim, and suddenly he knew by the way they fit so well around the familiar curve of the waist….

"Ann," he swallowed.

"Oh, hi. Sorry," she squinted, as if blinking away tears in an exaggerated movement.

"No, it's me, I wasn't," he trailed off.

"Yeah, well, I wasn't, either," she nodded.

"Al's?" he asked, referring to the bags in her hands. "Your mom hates Al's."

"Which is why she made me go get it. She said if I wanted it, I had to get myself …." She didn't want to let on as to the fact that she'd been previously incapacitated by the fight they'd had. She'd been strong, with determination to prove a point, right?

He just knew her too well. He nodded, not making her say it.

"So, what do you have?"

He opened his bag to reveal the boxes of pastries. A light smile covered her face.

"Lorelai isn't into coddling these days. Rory announced she's moving to North Carolina."

Anna nodded. "Yeah. She can't enjoy that much."

"No," he agreed.

"Will," she looked up at him for a beat, as if the next words were totally unscripted.

"Can we talk?"

"I should get home," she held up her bags.

"I want to talk to you," he stepped closer, so that when he breathed his chest nearly touched hers. "Please?"

"Later?"

He nodded. "Come to the office above the diner, around eight, I'll be there."

They stood there for a moment, neither quite sure what to do next. Kissing in parting didn't seem appropriate, but it felt empty without moving toward one another in kind. He reached out to put a hand on her head, pulling her forehead against his, and she closed her eyes.

"I need to go," she whispered.

"You'll be there?"

"I promise," she opened her eyes, and he nodded. He stood in place as she moved to step past him, walking in the opposite direction toward her mother's house, as he took a step toward his own parent's home.

XXXX

"How much did you pay him?" Rory called out as Tristan came through the back door. She was rummaging through the refrigerator, presumably looking to start dinner.

"Who?"

"Jake," she turned with a package of chicken in her hands. "He just said he was off with his friends for dinner and a movie," she said.

Tristan shrugged. "All on his own," he promised. "Put that away," he motioned to the chicken.

"I promise not to try anything fancy, I've learned my lesson," she giggled.

"We're ordering in."

Her eyebrows rose. "From where?"

"Everywhere. A smorgasbord of your favorites, nothing is too much. If you like it, we're calling and having it delivered."

"Even ice cream cake from Schwinn's for dessert?"

"Nothing's too good for you," he kissed her cheek.

"Am I dying?" she asked, only partially serious.

"I told my boss that we've decided on Raleigh. This is my last week at the New York office. It's official."

"Last week," she said quietly, looking around the house with moistening eyes.

"You start calling, I'm gonna go change."

She nodded and picked up the phone as he started down the main hallway of their home. She knew all their favorite restaurants' numbers by heart. She remembered how they'd learned, through trial and error so many years ago, which they could trust, which ones were hits and misses dependent on the dishes and who was working that day, and all the intricacies of the local fare. They'd have to get used to a whole new neighborhood. She sighed, realizing it might be a bit easier with a teenager around this time about. They were good at buzzing through the local restaurants.

"You done yet?" he asked, reappearing before her in his favorite pajama bottoms and one of his oldest T-shirts. It was soft from being well-loved, both by him and her. When he had to leave on business trips, she wore it around like a reminder of him—her way of keeping him with her. By the time it began to lose his scent, he'd come back. She put her hand up and touched the cotton as it lay over his chest. "You okay?"

"Don't think I don't know what's really going on here," she pulled herself together and gave him her most coy smile.

He played along seamlessly. "What is that?"

"As soon as I order, you come after me, in some sort of speed trial to beat the delivery guys."

"You've never complained in the past," he pulled her close, nuzzling her neck. "Come on, call the first place. I'll make it worth your while."

"How am I supposed to concentrate, with your lips there?" she squirmed against the movement of his lips hovering over her skin, just under her ear, as if feeling out their point of soon-to-be attachment.

"That's part of the game, tests your stamina," he spoke into her skin before using his teeth to make contact.

Her eyes fluttered shut as her fingers began dialing. "You're on," she managed, trying to focus on the minimum number of words she needed to utter to get their usual delivered to their door.

"Eddie? Good, it's Rory. Uh-huh, uh-huh. Right. No, just me and Tristan. Right. Um, how long? Twenty minutes? Right. Bye."

She let the phone drop to the floor as he swept her up in his arms, destination unknown. "What about the other places?" she asked from over his shoulder.

"I want to draw this one out," he growled, flipping her onto her back on their couch, sliding his favorite T-shirt off his torso before climbing over her, making her squeal in delight as his body came in contact at all possible pleasure points.


	33. Chapter 33

Title: Peer Pressure

Summary: Fourth installment in the WHW series. A Trory, of course. And, you know a billion other pairings.

Rating: T, for teen. Because there are so many of them running about.

Will sat in his father's old apartment, still unable to see how anyone could have ever called this a home. By the time he'd come along in his parents' life, his father had transformed this space back into the office it'd been created as, living once again in a family-style home filled with warmth and love. He'd considered asking his dad to let him move into the space when he moved out of his apartment he'd shared with Bree. He'd been perfectly content to be alone after the hurt she'd caused him. The only reason he'd taken Dave up on his offer was that he was much more likely to leave him be and not push him to talk about his feelings and all the things he didn't feel like doing back then, like moving on.

His thoughts as to what it might have been like to live in a place that guaranteed a loner existence were broken as a knock came to the door. He stood up and rubbed his hands together before opening the door to find Anna bathed in the light of the stairwell. He had forgotten to turn on any interior lights as the sun had just set.

"You came."

"I promised."

"Yeah. Come in," he stepped back to let her move past him.

She sat on the couch that was older than they were, which rested against the back wall. She looked up at him. "So, how are you?"

"It's like I don't know how to be without you anymore."

"Will," she closed her eyes at his instant honesty.

"Are you telling me you're okay without me? Because if that's what you're going to say," he shook his head.

"Of course I'm not okay without you. I don't want to feel like this!"

"Tell me how you feel," he pleaded, still standing in front of her.

"Sit down," she asked.

He knelt in front of her. "I'm right here. Talk to me."

"I don't think you're ready to get married."

"What?"

"It's like you don't ever want to talk about it!"

"I could care less about the details of the wedding; I just want to be married to you."

"Exactly! You don't want to think about it, you just want it to be okay—settled."

"Why is that bad?"

"Because you never got over the whole Bree thing!" she shouted.

His face paled and he sat back on his butt. "What?" he was barely able to whisper. "I don't want to be with Bree. I want to be with you."

"I'm not saying you want to be with Bree. I'm saying she hurt you and you never dealt with it."

"I moved on—I'm with you. I'm happy with you."

"You want it over with, official, so in your mind I can't leave you."

"Lots of good that's doing me," he shook his head. "Besides, you never want to talk about the wedding either!"

"Because I know why you're avoiding it. I can't watch you deny all this anymore," she informed him.

"And you know what I can't watch? You not trusting me!"

"What?"

"You don't trust me. I get that you've been through a lot, but I've been patient with you, I've never pushed you to do anything, and I've tried to get you to keep going to meetings."

"I don't need those meetings, I'm fine!"

"You're not fine!" he yelled now. "You won't talk about it—you used to talk about this with me. I was the first person you trusted with the details, remember?"

"I've told you everything—why dwell on it?"

"Because it still affects you!"

She let out a breath. "What do you want me to say?"

"I just want you to be honest. Preferably before it sparks a big fight in front of our friends and family," he admitted.

"I don't want to live in Stars Hollow. I can't be afraid of living somewhere else because there might be some psycho waiting in the bushes on my way to my car."

"Ann," he sat up on his knees, ready to pull her close.

"Do you know what it's like, to constantly be afraid that there's some guy, ready to do this to me again, for no apparent reason?"

"No, I can't imagine that," he admitted. "And maybe on some level I wanted to live here, to help keep you safe. I know I can't protect you at all times."

"No, you can't. And for the record, I'd never cheat on you. I don't care if we never get married, I'd never want to be with another man."

Now he pulled her in close. She clung to him as he did to her. He kissed the side of her head, and she turned in so that her lips brushed over his.

"Maybe we should look into some of that premarital counseling, and not worry about setting a date right now," he said at long last.

"Might not be such a bad idea," she looked into his eyes. "I'm sorry that I stormed out like that."

"I just hated knowing you didn't want to talk it out. We need to be able to talk about anything."

"That goes both ways," she stroked his cheek. He put his hand over hers, stilling her movements.

"I know. Come on, let me buy you some pie and we'll talk."

She smiled, took his hand, and followed him down into the diner, where in the time she'd climbed the steps and descended the steps, a small crowd had gathered. Her mother and father sat at the counter alongside Lorelai and Luke. Caesar had taken a break to look out the small cut out of the kitchen, and Kirk had helped Babette out of her cat-filled house to be at the event. At least twenty pairs of eyes stared at them, searching their body language—knowing that any raised voices they'd heard before were meaningless next to their current state of closeness.

"You made up!" Sookie exclaimed.

"Can we get some pie?" Will asked his father as Anna nodded to the crowd, that let out a collective sigh of relief.

Luke smiled. "On the house."

"Well, I am family," he said. "And she's going to be family."

"The wedding is still on?" Lorelai asked.

"Eventually," Anna smiled back. "We've agreed not to set a date, until we're both sure of the right time."

"Sounds sensible," Jackson replied, hugging his daughter. "Now, how about pie all around?"

"On you?" Luke asked.

Jackson sighed. "Where is your sense of celebration? You're a proprietor; you're supposed to do these things once in a while. Didn't you ever watch _Cheers_?"

"I don't want to know everyone's name," Luke said.

"Fine, the pie is on me!" Jackson threw his hands up in the air as the women laughed at the exchange. "Pie for everyone!"

Luke came out with three pies and began cutting.

"I'll have coconut crème," Kirk shouted out.

"I have peach, apple, and pecan," he informed him.

"I'm going to the Bahamas later this month, and I'm trying to acclimate my tastes to the nuances of the local fare. I'm sleeping on a grass mat and only eating foods that grow on the islands."

"I have peach, apple, and pecan," he repeated.

"What are the chances you'll just whip up coconut crème?"

Luke glared at him.

"Apple's fine," he said quickly, taking two plates toward the back of the diner.

XXXX

Jess woke up the next morning, having slept all night with his arms wrapped around Gwen so he'd know the instant she woke up. He had been mystified as to how she was able to come over after work, talk about how her presentation went, chat with Jules about Court and the plans for dinner on Friday—he'd rolled his eyes while they discussed ways to keep him calm—but the most part he just watched in amazement as she didn't see fit to run to the bathroom and get this question out of the air that seemed to hang over him.

His arms were empty, save for the pillow that seemed a cold, flat replacement for her warm, soft frame. He yawned, wondering what time it was, but more so he scanned the room for signs of her. He saw the pale yellow line that illuminated the strip under the bathroom door, where it didn't quite meet the floor. He threw back the covers, walked past the alarm clock that read 4:45am, and knocked at the barrier.

"Gwen?"

"Hang on," she whispered.

He said nothing; just did as he was told. As much as he wanted to rip the door down, he held in the anticipation of what he was nearly sure she was doing. He crossed his arms as the seconds fell into hours in his mind.

When the door finally opened, she brushed her teeth over her bottom lip. "I was just, finishing up."

"You took it?"

She nodded.

"And?"

"It takes three minutes," she looked back at the test that lay now on the edge of the sink. He just nodded as she looked back to him. "I didn't mean to wake you up, I just couldn't take it anymore."

"I don't know how you lasted this long," he admitted. "All night, you were so collected."

"Until we went to bed—I just lay there all night, thinking that what ever is done, it's done—not taking the test can't change that. I just needed to know."

Jess nodded again and pulled her in against his chest. "It's good. We don't get up this early nearly enough anyhow," he yawned again.

"I'm sorry," she winced.

"Stop apologizing," he said. "You have nothing to be sorry for here. At least, nothing to apologize to me about, okay?"

She nodded again and looked at the clock. "Two minutes."

"We just need to stay busy, for two minutes," he said, nodding to the bed. "I guess that's out of the question, huh?"

"You think?" she asked.

"Sorry, sorry, I—this is probably why Erin never let me be around. I'm not good, at times like this. I'm not so good at the comforting thing. When Ambrose was born, she banned me from the room because I was talking about how since so many people have their last meals in hospitals that the government should mandate five-star chefs to work at hospitals."

Gwen put her hand on his arm. "Okay, oddly enough, I agree with you, but maybe you could just sit here, on the bed, next to me and wait. Quietly."

He nodded. "I can do that."

She sat down and looked at him. He sat down, slipped his arm around her shoulders and pulled her in to bury her nose into the crook of his shoulder. She pulled her knees up into her chest and took deep breaths in rhythm with his heart beat. He ran his hand over her back.

"I think it's time."

She nodded, but stayed in place. He looked at the stick and back at her. "You want me to….?"

She stood up, shaking her head. "No. I should—I'll do it."

He stood up and followed her to the edge of the door, but didn't move into the next room. He let her pick up the strip and look at it. When she didn't speak or turn after a few seconds, he shifted his weight.

"You need the instructions or something?"

She shook her head and turned around so he could see her face. Tears had escaped her eyes, falling down her cheeks and dripping off her chin. He moved to hold her, wiping her tears away.

"I'm not upset," she promised. "I just, I can't quite," she swallowed.

"What is it?"

"It's positive."

"Positive, you're sure?" he asked.

She nodded. "It's kind of foolproof," she held it out, showing a plus sign in the little readout screen. "Are you okay?"

"I was more concerned about you."

She smiled and sniffed. "I'm pregnant."

"I know," he said.

"I want to have this baby."

He smiled. "I want you to have this baby."

She hugged him, and he held her tight for the next few minutes. When they pulled back, she bit her lip. "Promise me something?"

"Yeah?"

"Don't do anything because of this."

"Don't you think the kid might take offense to our ignoring its presence?"

She shook her head and smiled at his teasing tone. "I mean, don't propose because I'm pregnant. Don't change how you'd go about us because of this situation."

He took her face in his hands. "Then promise me you won't disregard steps we're ready for because of this."

She furrowed her brow in confusion. "I know it's early, but I'm not following."

He sighed. "Before you told me, I was going to ask you to talk about moving in here. With me and the kids."

"Are you serious?"

"I was talking to Jules. She was asking me about meeting her boyfriend, and one of her ground rules was that you be there. That, and you picked up and seemed to bond closer to Ambrose after the things he said to Erin—I just realized that not only were we good, but you're good with them. They need you around—and I want you around."

She smiled at his words. "You don't need me?"

"A man never admits those kinds of things," he murmured as he brushed his lips over her shoulder.

"Jess," she sighed.

"I want you," he kissed her shoulder again, "You're carrying my baby," he kissed her lips this time. "I need you here. I need to be the one to run to the store fifteen times when you can't keep a craving to last more than the ten minutes it takes me to run to the corner and back, I need to be the one to put the crib together in the living room, only to realize there is no way in hell that I can get the assembled thing into the bedroom later. I need you to be the one to pretend not to laugh out loud when I do things like that."

She had the biggest grin on her face that he'd ever seen.

"I did it when we were expecting Ambrose."

"You're old hat at this," she nodded.

"I've learned that no matter how many times you've been through this, each new kid finds its own way to pull out all the stops that you could never plan for."

"That's reassuring."

"I want to be there to find out what all those things with this kid will be. Please, consider moving in here."

"What'll we tell the kids?"

Jess shrugged. "We'll tell them when it's right. You should still go to the doctor, make sure," he nodded. "We have some time. But in the mean time," he trailed off.

"In the mean time, let's go back to bed. I can't make decisions like this when I'm running on no sleep."

"See? I also need to make sure you're getting enough rest," he pulled back the covers, waiting for her to get in under his watch.

"I'm pregnant, not made of glass," she whispered as he made a production of tucking her in before rounding the edge of his side of the bed.

"This is the whole me taking care of you thing. You're gonna have to just deal with it."

She snuggled into the curve of his body. "Fine, I give," she yawned, letting her eyes fall shut. Suddenly she felt the exhaustion that the past day easing out of her as she began to fall asleep in his arms for the first time that night.

XXXX

Ella walked into her second class on her second day of Yale and scanned the crowd. Most of the kids that had arrived early had filtered into the back of the room, as if afraid of soaking up too much knowledge in the first five rows. She sighed and set her sights on the first row, unafraid of the proximity to being called on out of sheer good visibility. She'd just barely pulled out her notepad and pen when someone slipped into the seat next to her.

"You're in here?"

"Grey," she seemed surprised. "I didn't know you would be here. Rosa didn't mention you were studying Russian," she said.

"This is an upper two hundred level class," he said.

She shrugged. "I tested into this class."

His jaw dropped. "You tested into _this_ class? This is the hardest professor in the department."

"So?"

"Why Russian?"

She tossed her hair back. "My favorite authors are Russian," she began. "They used such beautiful and heartbreaking descriptions of their country and culture. When I had to choose a language in high school, it was a no-brainer. What about you?"

"I lost a bet to Jas."

She shook her head. "Why am I not surprised?"

"Speaking of Jasper, does he know about the other men in your life?"

She turned to look at him properly. "There is just one other guy, and I've done nothing wrong."

"Turning two best friends against each other isn't wrong?"

"Jasper doesn't even really know about Pax yet," she began.

"And will you tell him? Because if you won't, I will," he began.

"God, give me a second, will you?" she grew annoyed.

"I'm sorry, you want to pretend you're a victim here?"

"Hey, I plan on telling Jasper today after classes," she explained. "Not that it's any of your business. I told Pax that I was going to be open with both of them, and I am not out to play them against each other. If they don't want to be with me because I'm not willing to settle down on one guy right now, then they are free to move on to someone else. In fact, Pax told me himself that he's not going to be exclusive to me," she said.

"And you're okay with that?"

"I've dated more than one guy at a time before," she said.

"Pax hasn't."

She looked up at him in surprise. "What? But he said," she began.

"He's lying. He puts on a good show—and he has no shortage of women available to him, should he decide to start—but he's not into the whole different girl every night of the week thing."

"Why are you telling me all this?"

"There are things that each of us are privy to," he began. "I know things that Rosa couldn't tell you. This goes each way, with all of us. If you're going to get into this, and you're really going to be out in the open about it, you should have all the information."

"What about Jasper?"

"He falls hard and fast—that's not a secret. He won't date anyone but you as long as it's on. He'll pursue you, to the point that you're spinning too fast to know which way is up."

"And Pax?"

"I don't know about his methods. I just know that the few that have gotten under his radar had proved themselves fully first."

"How?"

He shrugged. "Like I said, he doesn't share his methods. His talk, it's mainly to keep us off track."

"Then how do you know this at all?"

"Everyone breaks down sometime. Especially with the help of Jose."

"The guy at the adult bookstore?"

"Cuervo, baby. Tequila. God, you are a novice."

"Can this talk be our little secret?"

"That depends. Will you go out with me?" he raised an eyebrow.

"Jerk," she muttered, catching his sarcasm.

"Calm down. My sister likes you, my best friends are all crazy about you—I figure you can't be the devil or anything," he smiled genuinely.

"Gee, thanks," she muttered, not being able to hide her smile as the teacher walked in and greeted them—not word of English uttered.

XXXX

"So, does it have room for me to make a gym?"

"You're serious about the gym thing?" Tristan asked.

Jake nodded. "I need to get into shape. I was thinking of going out for the football team," he admitted.

"Football?" Rory asked, coming into the kitchen to pull leftovers out of the fridge. "That's so barbaric."

"Well, basketball isn't 'til spring," he said.

"You want to go out for both teams?" Tristan asked.

"Why?" Rory thought out loud, earning a look from both her husband and her son.

"Is it a problem? It's not like I suck at sports, I can play," he reminded.

"It's not that, you've just never showed any real interest before in joining things," Rory said.

"Well, now I'm interested," Jake said. "So, about the gym?"

"I don't see why not, it does have three bedrooms," she said. "Assuming we get that house."

"Can I come along to check out the school?"

Rory nodded. "You can come along, we're going down on Friday to look at the house and hopefully put an official bid in."

"Great," Jake said, taking a carton of fried rice and a fork, moving up to his room.

Rory looked at Tristan, who raised his eyebrows.

"Football?"

"Relax. It's probably just to get in good with the cheerleaders," he joked, and she swatted at him with a dish towel, and then tossed it down on the table. "I need to clean this place up. The realtor wants to show it tomorrow."

"So soon?"

"Time's a-wasting. You going into work later?"

He shook his head. "I just have to go in Wednesday and Thursday to tie up some loose ends."

"Good. You can help me start packing," she put the rest of the food on the table so they could scarf down some food before trying to convince their son that lifting heaving boxes and packing up Rory's books was good strength training.

XXXX

Ella knocked at the door and waited. She'd gone home, taken a shower and changed her outfit five times, trying to look good without looking like she was trying to look good. Rosa had just shaken her head and told her it was impossible—she could show up wearing a garbage bag and it wouldn't change what she had to say or his reaction. When Jasper opened the door, his smile spread instantly in recognition.

"Friday too long a wait?"

"This isn't exactly a social call," she said. "Can we talk?"

"If this is a ploy to get me to tell you where I'm taking you, forget it. All I'll tell you is you're going to think you've died and gone to heaven. It is heaven, at least, the only one I want to know," he informed her.

"No, I like surprises. And I can't wait for our date, honestly," she said. "It's just, I sort of wanted to let you know that I have another one, on Saturday."

His face grew somber. "I know."

"You do?"

"I'm not an idiot, Ella. I've seen the way he looks at you," he focused on her eyes, making her feel as if he could turn her inside out.

"Nothing's happened—he asked me out just after you did, and I was clear with him that I was going to be seeing you. I wanted you to hear it from me. I just, I'm not ready to be exclusive with anyone right now, and I will admit that I have a lot of fun with both of you. I don't want to talk about him with you, or you with him. I want to keep you separate—and be able to hang out with you guys together, in the meantime."

"You ask a lot."

"Pax was okay with it," she said. "If you're not, I can understand."

"He's not okay with it," he muttered.

"Excuse me?"

"I like you," he said, reaching out for her hand. She let him squeeze it as their fingers were interlaced together. "If this is what it means to enjoy the pleasure of your company, I will obey your rules. For now."

She nodded. "I like you, too. Thank you, for understanding."

"Are there any other rules I should be apprised of?" he asked, his tone lightening from the near baritone it'd dropped to before to a teasing flirty decibel.

She thought for a moment and was so caught up in trying to come up with a witty retort that she didn't realize his lips were moving toward hers. Her eyes fluttered shut and her hands slid up onto his shoulders for support as her knees weakened under the mere force of his lips. He warmed her cheek with one hand, pulling back slightly as he did.

"I hope that kissing isn't out of the question," he said. "There are certain things that I can't hold back."

"Well, it's kind of too late for that now," she sighed, leaning up to kiss him again.


	34. Chapter 34

Title: Peer Pressure

Summary: Fourth installment in the WHW series. A Trory, of course. And, you know a billion other pairings.

Rating: T, for teen. Because there are so many of them running about.

Will hadn't said much since Dave walked in. He'd flagged him down, and soon after the waitress brought the two drinks Will had gone ahead and ordered—knowing what his friend would like without question.

"So, do I get the details, or am I here to cut you off before you have to take the bus home?" Dave asked.

"Getting married makes you some sort of expert, right?" Will asked.

"Geez, no need to get snippy," Dave said.

"No, I was asking. You're married—I need advice on being married."

Dave rubbed the back of his neck. "I've been married like a week. Shouldn't you ask your dad big marriage questions?"

"He's been married too long—and I'm not sure they ever had problems," he shook his head.

"That's crazy—all couples have crap they had to work through," Dave said with a fair amount of certainty.

"What was it for you and Mal? I mean, if you don't mind my asking," he added, as if remembering niceties at the last moment.

"Well, the whole stripper/kid thing right before didn't help," he smirked, as if he were truly able to laugh about it now.

"You've never had any other problems?" Will asked, taking a sip of his beer.

"What's this about? The fight you guys had? Mom said you made up," he frowned.

"We did make up, it's just, we finally talked about the fact that there is stuff we both need to deal with," he shrugged. "We agreed to see a premarital counselor."

"So?"

"Isn't that a bad sign? We're not even married, and we can't deal with our own problems?"

Dave shook his head, took a sip of his own beer, and sighed. "It's not like that. It's not like you're quibbling over how many kids to have, or who is going to do the laundry."

"We can't even get that far," he sounded defeated.

"You love her, right?"

Will looked at him. "Of course I do."

"You want to marry her?"

"Yes," he said emphatically.

"Then why is doing whatever you have to do to get what you want a bad sign?"

Will had no response for that for a moment. "I just don't want to hear someone tell us not to get married."

Dave shook his head. "No one is going to tell you that—it's not how it works."

"You went through it?"

"It was mandatory," he shrugged.

"Tell me about it," he encouraged. "Please."

Dave took another long sip of beer. "They just make you talk, about everything."

"She's not gonna have to talk about her rape, is she?"

Dave looked at his friend with sympathy. "You guys should look into a real therapist, maybe someone at the clinic she used to go to," he offered. "Besides, she's not the only one that has other issues," he led.

"What? Come on, not you too," Will closed his eyes.

"What you went through was a big deal, Will. You saying you're over it doesn't make it so."

"So one girl cheated on me. It's not the same as what Ann went through."

"That's noble of you," Dave assured him, "but you're not doing her any favors, holding all that in."

Will looked at his oldest friend and nodded. "I hate it when you're right."

"Maybe being married does make me wise," he smirked, sitting back in his wooden chair.

"Will?"

Both boys turned to see Ella and a dark-haired girl approaching their table.

"Els," Will stood and smiled, trying to leave the heavy conversation behind him as he greeted her. Dave stood up to hug her as well, and she made a hand flourish to her friend.

"Will, this is Rosa, my roommate, Rosa, this is Will and Davey," she smiled.

"Wait, I thought your roommate was that mousey freak that Paris produced," Will frowned.

"We fixed that. So, you guys go here?" Rosa asked with great interest.

"I do, he's just visiting," Will clarified. "What are you doing in a pub?"

Ella frowned. "They serve coffee," she reminded. "We just came to talk."

"Don't you share a room?" Will asked.

"It's too crowded," Rosa supplied.

"Excuse me?" Dave asked.

"Never mind. So, we'll just get going."

"You can join us, if you like," Will offered.

"That might be nice," Rosa said, smiling back.

"Maybe some other time, we have a lot to discuss," Ella said pointedly. "Unless you don't want to be apprised of the situation at hand," she said.

"There's a situation?" Will asked, his eyebrows raised as his level of amusement rose as well.

"No, no, no real situation, it's just, you know, girl issues, who's gonna use the blow-dryer first and which color marker to hang on whiteboard if one of us is making out in the suite."

Will and Dave exchanged glances. "Right, just leave us before you start talking about feminine hygiene," Dave motioned for them to go away with a wave of his hand. Ella hugged Will once more.

"We'll talk soon, though, right?"

"You know where to find me," he promised. The two girls made their way to a table in the back corner, where they proceeded to dive right into what seemed to be a rather intense conversation. Dave and Will exchanged a look.

"They don't make you talk about that kind of stuff in premarital counseling do they?"

"God no," Dave shuddered, and they went back to their beer.

XXXX

"I kissed Jasper," Ella admitted, throwing her head down onto her folded arms.

"What? When?" Rosa asked sitting up on her knees so she could lean over the table toward her friend.

"Tuesday night," she admitted.

"Ella! You waited two days to tell me?" she asked, sounding rather outraged.

"Well, I felt weird telling you," she began. "It started out as a kiss at his door, but then, suddenly," she blushed.

"Wait, what did you…" she trailed off.

"We didn't do anything serious. It just got a bit farther out of hand than I had anticipated would happen. Especially since I went over there to tell him I was going to go out with Pax."

"Okay, Ella, I'm gonna tell you something you obviously don't know about boys. They like to mark their territory."

"What, you're saying this is like Jasper peeing on me?" she frowned.

Rosa squeezed her eyes shut. "Okay, first of all, gross, but second of all, yes!"

"We were just having fun, letting the moment take us where it would."

"So, wait, you are still going to go out with Pax?"

"Of course," she crossed her arms defiantly.

"And if things just happen with him too, they happen?"

Ella nodded. "Why not?"

Rosa smirked. "You dog," she flagged down a waitress, who nodded, indicating she'd be over in a moment. "Now to other topics of interest. Why have you been holding out on me?"

"I told you, I felt weird about it," she squirmed in her seat.

"No, I'm talking about Will," she smiled and snuck a peek over to the table they'd just left. "How do you know him?"

"He's my uncle," she frowned. "And he's engaged."

"Is it serious?" she asked.

"Rosa!" she giggled. "Of course it is!"

"Just checking, you never know. He's so good looking!"

"You think?"

"I'm swooning, and I never swoon," she sighed. "The good ones are always gay or engaged."

"Can we get back to topics of reality, please?"

"Fine," Rosa smiled. "Is Jas a good kisser?"

"Frankly, I'm surprised you don't know," she tilted her head.

Rosa shook her head. "I have no recollection of kissing Jas. They tell me I did once, but that was the first night we all got drunk," she cringed. "I honestly don't remember anything from that night."

"It's good," she smiled softly. "He was playful—kind of teasing, but demanding at the same time. Definitely good. Great lips," she nodded.

"Well, good for him," she smiled like a proud relative.

"And good for me. So, what about Pax? I mean, I didn't kiss him, but from the brief second we almost did, I just got this vibe," she closed her eyes as her lips upturned in sweet remembrance.

"Oh, yeah, also drunk for that one. See, the group has never really mixed in a real way like that. I mean, just drunken moments, things you hear about the next day from other people," she shook her head. "So, I hear you're in Grey's Russian class."

Ella frowned at the rapid change of topic. "Uh, yeah. I am."

"We should sign up for a class together next semester, wouldn't that be fun?"

"Sure," Ella nodded, letting Rosa continue to steer the conversation away from the boys and to seemingly less taboo topics.

XXXX

Jess stared at the phone in his office. He'd told his secretary to hold all calls that weren't considered emergencies, which she knew by this point to be if one of his kids called. He'd spent the last two days making sure Gwen knew his only place was with her, and they'd agreed to seriously give thought to the whole her moving in with him thing. They'd agreed to regroup after the Friday dinner with Jules and her boyfriend (even the thought made his stomach turn—and he seriously hoped this new baby was a boy so he wouldn't have to put up with this in another fourteen years), and all afternoon he had the creeping feeling that if he didn't let himself freak out, just a little bit, he was going to implode at a most inopportune time.

Sighing, he picked up the phone and dialed the learned number. He waited for the typical three ring pick up, and was relieved when, as normal, the same voice that always was there on the other end for him answered.

"Luke's," came the perplexed-sounding voice.

"Hey, you got a minute?"

"Uh, sure, I think so."

"What, Lorelai's there?"

"No, she's at the inn. But Kirk is trying to climb the gazebo in the town square, and I think he has something smeared all over him. Looks like peanut butter," he peered out the window. "At any rate, there are lots of barking dogs at the bottom. He can still run remarkably fast," he added.

"You really need to move away from that town," he reminded.

"If you can convince Lorelai to move to another, even slightly less eccentric place, be my guest. Is this why you called?"

"No, just called, you know, to talk. We haven't really talked in a while."

"The kids okay?"

"Yeah. Well. Yeah."

"What's wrong with the kids?"

"Nothing. Jules, she has a boyfriend, but she's fine."

"A BOYFRIEND?"

"I'm not hard of hearing, so unless you or the people you were trying to make hear you across town are, pipe down, will you?"

"You let her have a boyfriend?"

"Funny, I don't think I get much of a say."

"You're her father. You get a say."

"It's happened, and Gwen seems to think this is normal. We're meeting him tomorrow," he groaned.

"Geez. Well, if you called for advice, you've called the wrong person. I came around long after Rory got through all that—though I did put her first boyfriend in a headlock. I'm guessing Gwen will head you off if you try that. You could talk about how you grew up on the streets, any stints in jail."

"I've never been to jail."

"Really?"

"Thanks for sounding surprised," Jess offered.

"No, it's just, even I've been in jail, overnight," he said.

"You? In jail? Let me guess, one night as Bubba's girlfriend straightened your errant ways?" he joked, starting to feel less jittery.

"Shut up," Luke ordered.

"I didn't call about Jules. Though I'm not so thrilled about it," he consented.

"Hear from Erin?"

Erin. He'd have to tell Erin. And the kids, not to mention everyone in his life. His mom. His dad. He cringed. Luke was the least of the evils—the one person that wouldn't judge or berate him for any of the circumstances that were considered less than ideal. Hell, he might even be happy for him.

"No, not recently, since Am opened his trap," he sighed. "It's actually about Gwen and me."

"You two have a fight?"

"Why does everything have to be bad? This isn't bad," he blurted.

"Fine, it's not bad. You called to tell me you and Gwen are doing good?"

"She's sort of, pregnant."

Silence on the line. Jess waited an acceptable amount of time, realizing there was a bit of shock value to his words.

"You there?"

"You got her pregnant?"

"Well, it was either me or her crack dealer, but I'm pretty sure--," he began.

"Jess," Luke warned.

"Of course it's mine," he sighed.

"You tell anyone else?"

"No. We're just trying to figure some stuff out first."

"You're not gonna get rid of it, are you?"

"No! God, what's wrong with you?"

"Well, then what's to figure out? You have a kid; you get married and make a family."

"Okay, Grandpa, see, this isn't the 1950s, so," he started.

"You're not getting married?"

"Well, not right this second, no. She made me promise not to do anything out of turn—nothing I wasn't prepared to do before two days ago."

"Getting married isn't out of turn."

"For us, it is. I love her, and I've been thinking about asking her to move in with me, but past that--," Jess began.

"You're doing this all wrong!"

"Excuse me?"

"Jess. She's gonna have your kid. That bumps the game up to a whole other level."

"I know that! You think I haven't already had these thoughts?"

"So what are you gonna do?"

"Look, I want this to work out. I want her to agree to move in with me, and I'm hoping that as the pregnancy goes along, she'll realize that I'm ready to get married again. She thinks that I've needed time, after Erin," he explained.

"So you want to marry her?"

"Yeah. I do, I just don't want her to think it's because of anything other than wanting to be with her."

"Yeah. So, what about Erin? You gonna tell her?"

"I'm gonna have to tell everyone," he said. "Just, keep this to yourself for a while? I'm not ready for everyone to know. Not until we tell Jules and Am."

"Unless Ms. Patty's tapped this line, I think you're safe."

"Thanks."

"Hey, Jess?"

"Yeah?"

"Congratulations. You are happy about this, aren't you?"

"Yeah. I am. Thanks."

Jess hung up the line, stared at the phone for a moment, the pressed the intercom button.

"Any calls?"

"Nope. You expecting one?"

"No. Thanks."

He looked at the stack of work he still should be working on, closed his eyes, and leaned back in his chair. There was no way he could concentrate on work at a time like this, with all these thoughts mucking up his brain. He picked up his phone again and dialed another number that his fingers had learned to the point of not needing any thought to dial.

"Hello?"

"Hey, it's me."

XXXX

Ella opened her door, to let who ever it was into the domicile of pumping 80s dance music that she'd burned from her grandmother's personal stash. She'd had to swear not to put a single scratch on any of her precious collection, or else feel the wrath of the being tied to a chair and forced to listen to rap for hours on end.

Pax was standing on the other side, holding a large plain paper bag. "Go-Gos?" he asked.

Ella nodded. "I'm studying."

"It's kind of loud, isn't it?"

She shrugged, turned, and leaned down to twist the volume down to a lower level. "What's that?"

"Didn't Rosa tell you? It's Karaoke Thursday," he put the bag on the table and sat on the couch.

She crossed her arms and smirked. "You do karaoke?"

"If you're lucky," he smirked back. "I'm sure you do, I could hear your rendition of _Vacation_ from the hall."

She blushed rather suddenly. "You could hear me?"

He nodded. "It wasn't bad."

"Suddenly I feel the need to kill you, like you know too much," she shivered, still mortified.

"I don't think we're at that point, yet," he said, opening up the bag and rising back up to hand her things. He handed off two shot glasses and unscrewed a large flask. She held the glasses and looked at the pink liquid with interest.

"What's that?"

"Shots of courage," he smiled. "It's the only way I'll sing, and I figure you won't show me yours if I don't show you mine."

"Smart boy," she clinked his glass and they downed the contents of their glasses.

"Well?" he held up his empty glass.

"Tasty. Much better than beer."

"I should hope so."

"What was it?"

"If I told you, I've have to kill you," he tossed back at her.

"I can keep a secret," she acted offended.

"I'm sure you can," he nodded, stepping closer to her. "You still have that silly rule about predating activities?"

Her eyes widened. "Won't the others be here soon?"

He shrugged. "Probably."

She'd only had one shot—it wasn't just alcohol that was surging through her bloodstream. It was surely adrenaline—due to sheer proximity to this boy that had little or no qualms about pushing her limits.

"Pax," she closed her eyes as he leaned in closer, one hand at her waist, as one of hers rested on his chest, as if she might still change her mind and push him away. She took a deep breath in and was still holding it in wait for him to close the gap between them when they heard a key in the door and voices just on the other side. She looked at him questioningly as they stepped apart just before the door opened to let the other three entertainers for the evening spill into the suite.

"Getting her gears all oiled up?" Grey asked, to which both looked at him with what could be construed as contempt.

"Alcohol does wonders for this group's pipes," Rosa said. "Where's my shot glass?"

"I only brought two, we'll have to share," Pax offered his to Rosa, who happily accepted the flask and the glass.

"To love," she toasted herself.

"Love?" Jas asked, slinging his arm around her shoulders. "I told you, I can't date you."

She rolled her eyes. "Please. I met the man of my dreams today."

"Yes. And he's engaged," Ella giggled and poked her in the ribs. "Remember?"

"Sadly," she poured another shot. "I think tonight will be Tammy Wynette's greatest hits," she feigned sniffling.

"Hoo-boy," Ella took the flask and poured her own next shot as the boys began to rearrange the furniture and set up the necessary equipment.

XXXX

"Something is completely weird here," Ambrose said as he flopped back against his pillows. He had the phone on speaker, and the voice of his best friend floated into the room.

"Something is always weird there," he pointed out.

"Yeah, but Dad and Gwen are doing a hell of a lot of whispering, and it's like if she's not over here, he's on the phone with her, or escorting her over. She lives down the block, and he's escorting her?"

"Is this about the dinner tomorrow?"

"You mean the dinner that I've been exiled from? No, this isn't just about that. I'm telling you, something is up."

"Maybe they're getting married," he offered.

"They'd tell us that," he countered. "It's something else. Maybe Dad's sick."

"They'd tell you that, too."

"Yeah. Hey, you have to go to North Carolina tomorrow?"

"Why?"

"I gotta get out of here anyway, why don't we hit the road and go visit Ella?"

"You want to go to Yale?"

"We could hit a few parties, get away from all the weirdness we're dealing with. Come on, you owe me."

"How do I owe you?"

"I didn't pummel you when I thought you were being creepy to Jules. I gave you the benefit of the doubt."

"I'd have to clear it with my folks."

"We're going to see your sister."

"True, but they're acting all weird about the moving thing. Mom's in complete denial—she's in preparation mode. I guess I don't really want to be around to see when all this hits her, if that's this weekend."

"What about your dad?"

"He's sort of waiting for her to freak out, too. I mean, he actually realizes we're moving—you can tell the difference."

"You still okay with it? It's gonna suck, you not being around this year."

"I know. I just think it's a good time for a change of pace."

"Whatever. So, I'll pick you up tomorrow around five?"

"Yeah."

Am hung up the phone and ventured out into the main living room. Jules was on her knees on the couch, facing back into the kitchen where Jess was making dinner.

"I just don't see why you won't agree to a few simple ground rules," she groaned.

"Shouldn't that be my line?" Jess asked, stopping the stirring he was doing to look at his daughter.

"You're gonna be mean," she pouted.

"I'm not going to be mean. I've told your brother he can't stay, I've made sure Gwen will be there. I will not pull out any baby pictures unless specifically asked to, and I promise not to speak of Huggy Bear once, again, as long as he doesn't specifically ask to speak of it."

"How would he know to ask about any of that?"

"ESP?" Jess offered.

"You're impossible."

"I don't know what all you've told this boy. I have just recently learned of his existence. You're the one that has been dating him for months."

Ambrose walked across the kitchen and grabbed a banana. "I'm going to need therapy, being asked to leave my own home in efforts not to embarrass my sibling in front of company."

"Yeah, like you're the one that needs therapy in this family," Jess snorted. "Don't eat, I'm making dinner."

"I'm a growing boy. Speaking of those who need therapy, Grandpa called."

Jess looked up from his stirring again. "Hot Dog or Tights?"

Jules and Ambrose both snickered. "Grandpa Jimmy," Am answered.

"What'd he want?"

"To talk to you."

"About?"

"That's the extent of my knowledge. He told me to have you call him, and asked what kind of trouble I was getting myself into. Something about making assumptions based on my genetic code," he looked up into air and slowed his speech as if trying to grasp the idea.

"Watch it, or you'll be wearing this sauce, not eating it."

"I think that's the kind of thing Jimmy was referring to."

"Well, he should know, he started it," Jess muttered. "I'm not dealing with that until after tomorrow night. Where are you going?"

"Yale, with Jake. We're gonna drop in on Ella."

"Please don't bug her," he warned.

"She offered to let us come and hang," he defended.

"Fine, you're at Yale, you're within proper supervision range. And you, just make sure he doesn't touch you too much, and I'll behave. Deal?"

Jules nodded. "Done. Is Gwen coming over tonight?"

Jess stopped stirring again. "Erm, yeah. That's not becoming weird is it? Her being over here all the time?"

Jules shook her head. "I'm fine with it."

"Me too."

"Good. Good," Jess nodded and began stirring again. The kids exchanged glances and got up to start setting the table for dinner.

XXXX

"Jake's not coming," Tristan came into the bedroom as Rory was slipping under the covers.

"Why not? He was the one that wanted to go!" she frowned.

"He's going to Yale to see Ella. Him and Ambrose."

"To check out the campus?" she asked, filled with hope.

"More like the natives," he smirked. "College girls are a big draw to get any teenage boy to an institution of higher learning."

"Well, you went to Yale for a girl, I guess I shouldn't put it past your son."

"Oh, like you're complaining," he began.

"Never," she yawned, getting ready to rest after a full day spent packing, and knowing that the next would begin early and run late as well. "Where are we staying tomorrow night?"

"We're being put up in some nice hotel in downtown Raleigh, the firm is paying for it all," he wiggled his eyebrows.

"Even room service?"

"Everything is comp'ed. You can even get a massage," he suggested.

"I could use one. Packing sucks."

"I know. It'll be over soon, and we'll be all settled in a new house."

She looked around their partially packed up bedroom. It was the place that Jake was conceived in, the room in which he took his first steps, and where they'd spent nearly entire Sundays curled up as a family, reading and watching movies in pajamas with bed hair. It was the room in which their frightened children had awoken them after having bad dreams, asking to be granted entrance to the safety of protective arms. She had similar memories for every room in the house. She could even remember the day they moved into the house, finding out they were pregnant with Ella.

"Hey," he said softly, pulling her into his arms as her eyes welled up with tears. "You okay?"

"It's just, we're here. Everything happened here," she sniffled into his shirt.

"I know," he soothed, running his hands over her back. "I know."

"It's like I can see them, when they were little, running all over this house."

"This'll get easier," he promised.

"I know. I just hate to leave this place."

"You want me to call it off?"

She shook her head, wiping tears back with her fingers. "No, you deserve this," she said emphatically. "I'll adjust, it's just catching up with me," she nodded.

"I know. Come on, we're gonna have a long day tomorrow," he turned off the light and pulled her back into his torso, holding her until she fell asleep.

XXXX

"_At night when the bars close down, Brandy walks through a silent town, And loves a man who's not around, She still can hear him say," _Grey sang, staring more at the screen than looking out at his enraptured 'crowd'. Of course, his adoring fans were more occupied with other things.

"Before they used mercury in thermometers, they used brandy," Jasper informed the others, seemingly ignoring Greyson's crooning skills, or lack thereof.

Ella burst into giggles. "How do you know that?"

"He knows all things alcohol related," Pax spoke up, pouring himself another shot. Rosa stuck a finger between his ribs, to which he made an 'O' with his lips and grabbed her hand.

"That hurt," he informed.

"I hope so," she hissed back.

"How would brandy work, instead of mercury?" Ella asked, still on the prior comment.

"I just know the facts, ma'am," Jas smirked, stood up suddenly, and moved to take the microphone from Grey.

"My turn," he insisted.

"I'm not finished."

"Yes, you are," Rosa threw a pillow at her brother's head.

"I'm bad?" he inquired, looking hurt.

"Yes, terrible," Pax offered him another round of spirits. "You too," he handed Ella another full shot glass and smiled. "It's your turn next," he whispered.

"Can I talk to you a sec?" Rosa asked Pax.

"And miss the show? No way," he took a swig out of the flask himself.

"That's unsanitary," Rosa grimaced.

"Hey, it's not like we're not all into sharing everything else around here," Pax said, not bothering to cover the disdain in his voice.

"Hey," Ella said, as if coming out of some sort of slowed haze. "Pax," she began, only to stop when Jas' singing got incredibly louder.

"_Let's go slow. Let's go fast, Licorice twist gonna whip your ass!_" he half-yelled out, while hopping up and down in the air.

"America's first roller coaster was built in 1827 to carry coal from the mines to boats below," he interjected, at a nearly documentary voice-over tone, still wielding the microphone.

"Come on, we'll be back in a jiffy," Rosa said, half dragging Pax up off the couch, where he'd kept his gaze on Ella, who was now coming down from her giggly alcohol sated state to be concerned about his cryptic comment.

"A jiffy is 1/100 of a second," Jas interjected.

"And that just seems improbable, besides, it's our turn," he moved to grab both of Ella's hands and dragged her up to the 'stage'. Jasper handed over the mic, and Pax leaned down to chose the song he wanted.

"This is impressive," she looked at it. "You can pick whatever you want?"

"Like a jukebox," Pax agreed.

"First jukebox was in 1899 in San Francisco," Jas said.

"I don't know the words to that one," Ella protested, seeing the choice he was making.

"That's the beauty of karaoke," he pointed to the screen.

"_Summer lovin', had me a blast,_" he began and pointed to her, and she scrambled, only getting out the last part of her first line.

"_Happened so fast,_" she nearly stuttered.

"_Met some girl crazy for me,_" he kept going, much to Rosa's disapproval and Ella's frowning.

"_Met a guy cute as can be,_" she continued.

They continued on, until the line 'tell me did you get in her pants' was sung out, by both Grey and Jas, who had decided that the 'all male sing portion' applied to them. Rosa had begrudgingly sang with Ella on 'all girl sing' parts, but at that cringe-worthy line, Ella took off for her room and Rosa pulled Pax into her own bedroom by his shirtsleeve.

Grey looked to Jasper, not wanting to comment out loud as to the things that were racing through his thoughts. He managed to go with the least crass of what he was thinking.

"You got in her pants?"

Jas closed his eyes, shook his head, and moved to check on Ella. He opened her unlocked door, and she immediately looked up from her point of having thrown herself onto her bed.

"I'm sorry," he began.

"For what?"

"I'm not sure," he admitted. "You just seem upset, and generally women getting upset means a man did something to be sorry for, or so my mother tells me."

She smiled. "It wasn't you."

"Are you sure? Because you ran out of the room, after the line about," he hedged.

She closed her eyes. "I know. This is just, harder, than I thought—dating two guys. And Pax, he isn't exactly being so forgiving about it," she swallowed. "Hey, did you know your eyes just dilated?" she asked as he sat down on the edge of her bed.

"Your eye expands forty-five percent when looking at something pleasing," he answered, with a small smile.

"What is with being random fact boy?" she poked her finger into his chest lightly.

"They aren't random. They're Snapple Real Facts," he imparted.

"You're not serious," she erupted into giggles again.

"I love Snapple," he burst out into a giggly fit as well. They sat there, in tears, shaking and trying to stop the fits of amusement.

"Thank you," she grabbed his hand. "I'm sorry I'm letting this get so weird."

"If he's bothering you, you don't have to go out with him," he offered.

Her face became quite stoic. "I don't want to talk about him," she shook her head, leaning up to brush her lips almost experimentally across his.

"Did you know people spend an average of two weeks kissing in a lifetime, and that a one-minute kiss burns twenty-six calories?"

"Well, we do need to work off all that alcohol," she looked up into his eyes, and he needed no more encouragement at that point. He'd come in her room to cheer her up, and he saw no better way to take her mind off of his friend's acts of idiocy than pulling her closer.

XXXX

"Okay. Well, if you were looking to push her at Jasper, congratulations," Rosa began.

"I get it, I was an ass!" he yelled back.

"No, you were THE ass!" she yelled. "Do you like this girl, or is she a nice distraction for you to play with?"

"Stop it!" he yelled.

"No, Pax, seriously. I mean, unless you like seeing her confused and hurt, and you enjoy messing up the longest friendship you've ever had," she continued.

"I like her!"

"You just met her!"

"So did he!"

Rosa was quieted. "Look. I get that she's the new girl, and she's smart—not smart enough to stay away from the likes of you two, but smart," she continued. "But there are other girls, Pax. May I suggest you pick one?"

"Why should I have to? She likes me, too, I know she does."

"Other than agreeing to go out with you on the day she decided that she would be this super-dater chick, what else makes you think she likes you? Has she kissed you?"

"No," he gritted his teeth. "But when we're together, it's just, I can't," he threw his hands up in frustration. "It's there, okay? I'm not backing down."

"Well, then you better be ready to do some groveling. I can tell you, not that I want to be the go-between and after I tell you this, I'm done with the job—but she and Jasper, it's gotten physical, and I know she said she can't help herself around him. And he's probably in there right now, comforting her after you were the way you were in there, and you know what? He probably deserves to get this girl."

Pax looked down. "I don't want to take her from Jasper. I just can't give up on this."

"Competition can be healthy, but a need to win just isn't."

"It's not like that. And I'll make it up to her."

"You realize that means respecting her wishes to keep things completely free of all dating binds when we're all hanging out together? Not talking about or undermining Jasper when you're out with her? Respecting that girls think about more than sex, and not trying to guesstimate what she and Jas have done so you can one up him?"

"It's not about Jasper," he whispered again.

"Good. Repeat that to yourself. And for God's sakes, get some self respect," she huffed. "Now, you wanna crash in here, or face going out there?" she slipped her arms around his waist in a show of support.

"I should go. I don't want to know if he's still here in the morning," he said gruffly, his voice hoarse from all the shouting and singing. "Thanks."

Rosa nodded and watched him go, moving out to see her brother eating the remains of one of the pizzas they'd ordered. She just shook her head at him as he chewed.

"What?"

"Shove over," she said, grabbing a piece and sitting down next to her brother as they sat out the night.


	35. Chapter 35

Title: Peer Pressure

Summary: Fourth installment in the WHW series. A Trory, of course. And, you know a billion other pairings.

Rating: T, for teen. Because there are so many of them running about.

Rosa yelled at Ella to hurry the process up, she was being paid by the hour if she expected her to be her house staff—and she didn't come cheap, either. She didn't want to have to bring up the damage control she'd been running since the night before—when Jasper failed to come out of her room until the wee hours of the morning, long after Friday had dawned.

When she found him standing on the other side of the door, a small bundle of flowers in hand, she sighed. "You again?"

Jasper jumped back, his face twisted in disgust. "Dear God, what has happened to you? You look like you've acquired cats," he said. "Does that stuff bleach hair?" he pointed to the goop that covered her face.

Rosa readjusted the headband that held her hair out of the facial mask that was step one in her spa night—the complete pampering she liked to engage in before promising dates. "Ella will be out in a minute, she's still primping."

"Is that what you call what you've done to yourself, primping? Because I can come back after you two have been hosed off," he grimaced.

"Sorry," Ella said, coming out of her room, nearly breathless and still stepping into her high heels. "I couldn't decide what to wear," she said accusingly.

"If I tell you where we're going, it defeats the purpose of surprising you and taking your breath away with my good taste. Just as you've done with that dress, I might add."

Ella smiled. "I told you, I like surprises, I just also appreciate knowing that I won't clash with the décor."

"You go with everything," he assured her, handing her the small bouquet. She brought them to her nose, inhaled deeply, and smiled.

"Thank you," she looked around the room. "I just, don't know," she said.

"Here, I have vases," Rosa offered. "I think my rates just bumped up, though," she informed her.

"You look amazing," Jasper said, ignoring Rosa altogether. "Have I already said that?"

Ella giggled and shook her head, stepping toward him as Rosa groaned. "Shouldn't you two be leaving?"

"Am I really dressed okay?" Ella ran her hands over her dress and looked up to her dapperly dressed date.

"Couldn't be more perfect if you knew the location," he assured her, and they moved to the door, leaving Rosa alone in blissful silence—no more gooey chatter to sicken her.

XXXX

"Um, Jess?" Gwen poked her head in the bedroom to find him sitting in the chair in the far corner of the room. He had a reading light on and a book open in his lap.

He smiled at her presence. "When did you get here?"

"Just now," she bit her lip. "Jules let me in."

He nodded and looked back down at his book.

Gwen cleared her throat. "Um, Jess?"

He looked back up. "Yeah?"

"Um, I don't know, I mean, I just assumed when I got here, I'd find dinner mostly ready. Smells emanating, things browned. Won't Court be here soon?"

He gave a look of panic, enough to draw her in closer. She got right to where he sat, and he smiled. "I promised Jules we could order in Chinese. Something about her being afraid I'd poison him. Like I'd do something that amateurish. It should be here any second. I left money on the table."

"So, you're in here, reading," she picked the book up off his lap, to reveal a copy of _What To Expect When You're Expecting._ He raised his eyebrows.

She set the book down on his lap and smoothed back his hair off his forehead. "You knocked up, too?"

He couldn't help but smile. "I was thinking about the last time I did this, and how it was over fifteen years ago. I might be a little rusty on what you're going through."

She let out a nervous chuckle. "Well, I'm not exactly an expert here, either. Can I read it when you're done?"

He set the book aside and pulled her into his lap. "I could read it to you," he whispered in her ear, "then we'd both be caught up."

She rested her head down against his, as his hand rested to cover the expanse of her still smooth, flat stomach.

"That hasn't changed," she whispered.

"It will," he said simply. There was a jolt of electricity as their eyes met, his words sounding more like a promise to her, as he slid his hand up her torso, covering one breast gently.

"Those are a bit different," she admitted.

He smirked. "I'll be gentle."

"We should get out there. Jules is nervous."

"Let her stew a little—she's the one that didn't tell me about this guy for months," he grumbled.

"Something tells me you are hoping this one will be a boy," she postulated.

"You want to find out?" he asked.

"Oh, I don't know, I just," she stumbled for words.

"Hey, we don't have to decide anything now," he promised. "I'm good, either way."

Her face softened. "Really?"

He nodded and moved to kiss her. "You look beautiful."

"It's called the sheen of exhaustion," she shook her hair back over her shoulders.

"You're gonna get lots of rest tonight," he said. "I'm not letting you out of this bed in the morning until we talk about the thing you promised to talk about."

"Did I not mention how tired I am? Can you use fewer words with actual nouns?"

"You promised to talk about moving in here."

"I've been thinking about it," she shifted on his lap before meeting his eyes. The doorbell rang and Jules let out a half squeal of terror, half shriek of excitement. Then she knocked at the half-closed door.

"Dad!"

"It's just Chinese," he called out.

"We're coming," Gwen promised.

"Saved by the bell," Gwen whispered, getting to her feet, after they heard Jules stalk back down the hall.

"Don't think you'll be so lucky later," he promised, following her to see that it was just the food being delivered.

XXXX

Will unlocked the front door and tossed his bag full of notebooks and school books onto the couch. He could smell fresh and hot pepperoni in the air, and he looked in toward the kitchen. Anna was looking out at him with a smile on her face.

"You're home," he said with a certain level of surprise. She hadn't been at their apartment in an official capacity since their fight—staying at home with her mother even after they had decided to reconcile and take steps to mend what might have gone awry.

"My classes ended early today," she said. "And I started to go back to Mom's," she admitted. "But somehow the car just ended up parked here. I came in and looked around. I missed being here. I missed you."

He nodded. "I missed you too."

They shared a quiet moment before he approached her. He stood right next to her, and she held out a plate as she opened the pizza box. His hand grazed hers, and he set it down on the counter to turn her around to face him.

"I'm really glad you're home."

"I'm not saying everything is fine," she warned. "I still want to fix things," she explained.

"Gotta start somewhere. I was thinking that maybe we could find someone at the clinic you were going to," he began tentatively.

"Will," she closed her eyes. "I'm not sure I want to go back there," her eyes closed.

"I know it's hard on you, to go back to the same places, to immerse yourself in those memories, but I'll be right there next to you."

"I can't talk about some of that with you, or anyone," she added.

"Ann, you don't have to tell me everything—but you can. I think maybe we should both see this therapist together and separately. I'm willing to admit that I need to figure out how the whole Bree thing plays into how I'm feeling now. And you know I don't even to touch that whole situation with a ten-foot pole."

"I know. But we'll do it like you said, one step at a time. Tonight, dinner, and I'll stay—if that's okay."

"And tomorrow we'll go see about making an appointment."

"Deal," she nodded and slipped into the safety of his arms.

XXXX

"Do you know where you're going?"

"No, but you do, and I have a map. Somewhere."

Jake sighed. "I think you missed the last turn. Why are we on this road? You didn't have to get off the main interstate this soon."

"Dude, it's a road trip. We're on a road. Chill."

"We should have called. What if she's out?"

"She just broke up with her boyfriend. Girls don't bounce back that quickly."

"Whatever. Can we just get there or stop? I'm hungry."

"Aren't you gonna try to enjoy this at all? This is like, our last hurrah."

Jake looked at his friend. "I'm moving, not dying. Besides, there's college."

"Who says we'll go to the same college? Or that we'll both go to college?"

Jake shook his head. "We're both going. It thought you wanted to go to NYU."

"And you'll go to Yale," Ambrose said knowingly.

"I want to go to NYU. I like the city."

"Then why do you want to leave?"

"Look, I can't do anything to stop them moving—Dad got this promotion. Isn't it better that I embrace the situation?"

"You sound like you're on some daytime talk show," he commented.

"I just think that there are certain things I want to do before college that I can't do at our school."

"Like?"

"Date a cheerleader. Make the basketball team. Be prom king."

"Too many comments. Head hurting," Ambrose mocked.

"What's wrong with any of that?"

"That's not you! You don't give a rat's ass about being popular, that's who Ella is," he explained.

"And maybe I'd like to know what it's like, for once!" Jake defended.

Ambrose drummed his fingers on the steering wheel to the beat. "Fine, I mean, if it's what you want," he said. He looked over at his friend, who'd suddenly become clam-like. "Maybe I'll work my ass off and get into Yale too."

"If you'd stop ditching, you'd be golden. Mrs. Carpaggio might even write you a recommendation herself," Jake joked.

"Yeah, right after my head is mounted over her desk."

"Hey, turn here," Jake said suddenly. "Maybe this wasn't the complete wrong way."

"I can feel the hot college girls calling to me, like a beacon," he said. "You really want to stop to eat?"

"Nah, we're almost here. Turn left at the next light, and I think it's the third on the right."

"You deserve all that, you know?" Ambrose said after a moment of silence, save for the music that filled the car.

Jake smirked. "Thanks."

XXXX

Luke sat down next to his wife in the now darkened theater, handing over half the load he'd obtained, mainly for her, at the concessions stand. She'd lobbied for higher quality candy to be sold years ago, promising to buy more than her fair share to make it worth their while, and the deal had benefited both parties. She opened a box of Raisinettes and started to pour them into the popcorn.

"Hey, other people might want to eat the popcorn, untainted," Luke grumbled in whisper form—something he'd gotten quite good at since such time as he began squiring her around town thirty years ago.

"They're raisins. You like raisins, they're healthy."

"They're covered in chocolate. Anything, even once healthy, when covered in chocolate, becomes a sticky mess of crap."

"Well, that just did wonders for my appetite," she said, reaching in to mix up the candy in the warm popcorn and pulled out a handful of her concoction. "Hey, this isn't buttered."

"Yes, it is. It's all buttered," he said, still gruffly complaining in a sub-vocal tone.

"No, I mean you didn't put extra butter on it."

"You're putting chocolate-covered raisins in it, you don't need that and butter."

She turned her head just far enough to look at him. "What?"

He turned to do the same. "What?"

"You're doing that thing, where you do things that are good for me. You only do that when you feel guilty about something. Or when you're hiding something."

"I told you that what you're eating is disgusting, and it's no secret I didn't want to see this movie. It's a cheesy chick flick, and you're just torturing yourself."

"There is nothing wrong with _Beaches_," she frowned. "But this is something else. Something bigger than my eating habits."

"There is nothing larger than your appetite."

She narrowed her eyes. "Did Rory call?"

"I would have told you if she did."

"Tristan?"

"Tristan never calls, unless Rory is in labor."

"What about Jess?"

"The movie is starting," he said, taking a handful off what he hoped was just popcorn.

"Luke," she warned.

"You'll miss the beginning," he nudged her.

"What's wrong with Jess?"

He looked at her and raised his eyebrows. "So many things."

"I mean presently, that you won't tell me about."

"Nothing. Just watch the movie."

"Trouble with Erin?"

"No."

"The kids?"

"Are fine. Look, the sappy music is swelling up, it's quiet time."

"I'm not done with this."

"Fine. I'll continue to evade your questions after the movie," he consented, and they settled against one another to watch the movie.

XXXX

Ella's eyes widened as the car pulled to a stop outside the castle. She'd never dreamed there would be a castle placed as if moved and created naturally, similar to a mountain. It certainly drew the command of a mountain. She felt Jasper's hand on her waist, as if to remind her to move out of the car when the driver opened the door for them.

"Where are we?"

"Geneva."

"I mean, the name of this place."

"Belhurst Castle."

"It's amazing," she said.

"And you've not yet had the food," he smiled and led her around to one of the many entrances. They walked in through an awe-inspiring dining room, which made her feel underdressed in even her favorite dress, and through to a more relaxed pub-like dining room.

"I thought about dining in the main room," he said. "But I find it too stuffy most of the time."

She nodded. "I like this better."

"I thought you might."

They were seated near the fire after he gave his name, and asked if he'd changed his mind about needing a room for the night. He said he'd not changed his mind, and they were told the dinner specials before the waiter left them.

"A room?" she asked, forgetting to scan the impressive menu.

"Well, half the draw of a place like this is the rooms. They are impressive, I just figured it was best not to," he frowned. "Unless you want," he began again.

"Oh, well," she frowned. "We probably shouldn't."

"Right. So," he cleared his throat. "Order anything at all. It's all impressive."

"It all sounds amazing," she said, skimming it once before looking up at him. He was studying the menu as if he'd never seen it before. "What are they like?"

"What?" he looked back up at her.

"The rooms," she said without batting an eyelash.

"Well," he ran a hand through his hair. "They're nice."

"Nice?" she raised an eyebrow. "You need to work on your descriptive skills."

"Words don't do them justice," he admitted. "We could go up and just take a peek—without getting one for the night, if you like."

"Okay," she smiled and went back to her menu.

"So, not to change the subject so obviously," he smiled, putting his menu down on the table. "How was your first week?"

"Eventful," she made her decision and followed suit in setting her menu down on the table. "I'm taking five classes, and Rosa has this way of filling up every second of available down time."

"She's always been that way. Never let her brother sleep in. Or us, if she could help it."

"Why?"

"Too much sugar in her youth," he shrugged. "Or not enough Ritalin."

"And what about you?"

"I've never needed Ritalin," he smiled.

"I meant, how was your first week?"

"Same old thing. It's not my first year."

"But you have new classes, new people, theoretically you're more into your major."

"Which one?"

"That's right, you're one of those show-offs that have two," she nodded.

"I'm not a show-off, I'm living up to my unlimited potential," he seemed to be quoting.

"Let me guess? Your father's speech?"

"My mum's," he smirked. "But it's not like history and political science are that far removed. It's not like I'm pre-med and double majoring in drama."

"Somehow that wouldn't surprise me, though."

"You're saying I'm dramatic?" he arched an eyebrow.

"Never, oooh—do you see that?" she pointed conspiratorially to the dessert that was being carried out to the table kitty-cornered from them.

"The chocolate cake? You'll have some then," he looked at her as she continued to lean into him to get a good look at it.

She smiled. "Don't think I'm sharing."

"I wouldn't dream of it," he smiled back as she lingered closer to him for a moment until the waiter came to take their orders.

XXXX

Rory yawned as Tristan opened her car door. She took his hand and let him pull her to her feet. He pulled her in for a hug and kissed the top of her head.

"It didn't take that long. We haven't even missed dinner."

"Do we have time to drive around a little?"

"We're gonna drive around all day tomorrow with the realtor."

"True, but how else will we see where we should eat? We don't even know what's around here."

"Ah, you're forgetting the perks of being down south," he turned her toward the entrance of the hotel, as they'd acquired their bags.

"If you say, 'rely on the kindness of strangers,' I'm gonna be sick."

"I was going to say rely on southern hospitality," he said. "Though it does seem to have a sexual ring to it, no matter how you phrase it," he let out a chuckle.

"You have always had that problem, yes," she said as they approached the front desk. "Hi, we're the Dugreys," she informed the attendant.

"Ah, yes, would you like some assistance up to your room?" the woman's soft accent was readily understandable—for which Rory was thankful. She reminded herself they were in a large city, and not out in some rural place that would be hard for them to fit into.

"That'd be great, and if you could recommend a spot for dinner?" she smiled.

"Of course," she pulled out a preprinted sheet and a highlighter. "What kind of food do you enjoy?"

Tristan let out an uncontrollable laugh at the very question being posed to his wife. She shot him a look of warning, and he did his best to stifle them as he stepped up to slide his hand around her waist. "Maybe you could just give us the list and we'll look it over in our room."

"Sure, here you are, sir, and ya'll have a nice stay with us," she said as they turned to head toward their room.

"She said 'ya'll'," she whispered to him.

"So?" he asked as they boarded the elevator. "It's a southern thing."

"Hmm," she nodded and moved to stand right in front of him, as they had the posh elevator to themselves. "Did you fall into such colloquialisms when you lived down here?"

"You saw me down here, did I seem in any way southern to you?"

She smirked. "I saw you on your 'I wanna get laid' behavior," she corrected.

"I was a gentleman," he reminded.

"Exactly," she giggled, as he pulled her in to kiss her. They were in the midst of a heated exchange when the doors opened and a couple of people waiting to enter cleared their throats.

"Oh, good, our floor. Shall we, honey?" he said rather loudly, more to the crowd than to her. She couldn't help but smile through her flushed cheeks as she kept hold of his arm and they strolled past their audience and down the hall to their room.

XXXX

The boy looked like he might be sick, which oddly mirrored the slight ashen color of Gwen's skin as well. Jules looked from one to the other, hoping that one wouldn't pass out and the other would feel good enough to help her carry the conversation.

"So, Court, you're planning on college?" Jess asked, as he snuck in a look at Gwen. He began to wonder if food aversions had hit, or if morning sickness might be hitting her now.

He sat up straighter, "I'm hoping to get a basketball scholarship," he answered.

Jess looked at the boy. "You play basketball?"

"He's a starter on the varsity team," Jules answered.

"Varsity—you're how old?"

"Dad," Jules warned, shaking her head.

"I'm seventeen."

"Seventeen?" Jess asked Jules.

"Did I not mention that?" she asked.

"Jess," Gwen said, slipping her hand onto his knee under the table. "I'll be right back," she slid out of the chair and disappeared down the hall.

"Is she okay?" Jules asked.

"She's fine," Jess frowned.

"She didn't look okay," Court added.

"She's fine. So, Court, you're seventeen and on the basketball team. You have your own car?"

"Uh, yeah."

Jess raised his eyebrows at his daughter. She narrowed hers back at him. "Dad, maybe you should go check on Gwen, she's been in there for a while."

Jess sighed and stood up. "I'll be right back."

He could hear his daughter whispering words of comfort to Court as he made his way down the hall. He rapped lightly on the bathroom door. He heard her weak voice ask who it was.

"It's me," he said, trying the door. "You okay?"

"All of a sudden, I just knew I had to," she frowned from her seated position next to the toilet. "I've been feeling nauseated, but it was so strong all of a sudden."

"You gonna be okay to come back out?"

"Yeah. This will pass, right?"

He nodded. "It should."

"You should get out there, tell them I'm fine."

"Please don't make me go back out there. Everything I say, I sound like Luke."

Gwen smiled, then held her stomach. She moved forward to throw up, and he moved behind her to hold her hair back. He ran his open palm over her back in large circles.

"Luke's not a bad guy," she managed.

"I'll get you a cold washcloth and some water," he said, moving about the bathroom to provide her with some comfort. "Maybe we should just send the kids out and you can get to bed."

"No, I think this wave has passed. I just needed to get it out."

"You're sure?"

"I'm sure," she said as she wiped off her face and took a sip of water. "Much better."

Jess nodded and helped her up off the floor. They walked back out into the dining room, to find hushed whispers silenced.

"Sorry, guys," she said. "So, Court, do you have brothers and sisters?"

He nodded. "One of each, both older."

"They're in school?"

He nodded again. "My sister is at UCLA, and my brother is at Brown."

"Impressive," Gwen said.

"Yeah, they're both really smart."

"So are you," Jules added. He smiled.

"I do okay."

"What about your parents?" Gwen asked, but felt another wave of nausea. She willed it to stay down long enough to hear his answer, but she jumped up out of her chair again and headed down the hallway.

"Is she really okay?" Court asked, clearly concerned.

"I think she's just picked up a bug or something, why don't you two head out to the movies or something? Be back at a decent hour," he suggested.

"So, you're okay, with us dating?" Jules asked, the question that this whole evening was supposed to answer. She hadn't gotten that feeling most of the evening.

Jess looked to his daughter, even though his urge was to be in that bathroom with Gwen already. "Court, you seem like a very nice guy, you care about my daughter enough to sit through this kind of torture," he said, which made both kids smile. "As long as she's happy, you're welcome to take her out, or come over here anytime."

Jules moved to hug her father. "Thanks. Tell Gwen I hope she feels better."

"I will. Go on," he nodded, and they moved to the door to escape to the fun part of their evening. He looked at the food scattered over the dining room table, as if the people around it had fled off to some emergency or another—wondering how many more meals would fall by the wayside like that in the next nine months.

He got to the bathroom, slid down on the floor next to her and smiled wearily.

"I'm sorry."

"Don't be. They went to a movie. Or at least, that's where I'm telling myself they went."

Gwen put her hand on his knee. "They're cute and young. I'm sure they were telling you the truth."

"I hope so. How you doing?"

"I don't think I can move from toilet. It's just something I'm gonna have to carry it around with me."

"Garbage cans are much lighter."

She gave him a look, attempted a laugh, but ended up doubled over the toilet again.

"You blame me yet?"

"Just enough to want to move in here to make you take care of me," she responded, still waiting over the bowl to make sure she was done with that round.

"You mean it?"

She turned to let him wipe her face off with the washcloth again. Her eyes closed at the coolness of the damp fabric across her face. "I told you I've been thinking about it."

"If I hug you, will it hurt?" he asked.

"The worst that will happen is I'll throw up on you," she joked.

He pulled her into his arms on the floor, holding her until she fell asleep right there on the bathroom floor of her new home.

XXXX

"Okay, Mom says this is the one," Jake replied after shutting his cell phone. He stepped up the door and knocked.

"HANG ON!" came a harried voice from the depths of the room. It definitely wasn't his sister who yelled or flung open the door. The girl who opened the door had foil in her hair and those weird divider things girls use when they're painting their toenails between her toes.

"Who are you?" she asked.

"Uh, we're looking for Ella?" Jake managed.

"She's not here, but you can leave a message for her on the white board," she said, starting to shut the door.

"I'm her brother!" he called out.

"What? She didn't mention," she shook her head.

"She didn't know I was coming. Will she be back soon?" Jake explained.

"Doubtful. She's on a date."

"A date?" Ambrose asked.

"Look, you two come in, and I'll try to get a hold of her, okay?"

"Sure," Jake said, and they moved into the room.

"You two in trouble?" Rosa asked.

"No, why?"

"Just, checking. I have a brother, too," she smiled and moved into her bedroom.

"I told you we should have called," Jake said.

"You really need to embrace the spontaneous, if you hope to date a cheerleader," he offered advice.

"Whatever," he grumbled as Rosa reemerged.

"Okay, your sister has turned her cell off, which doesn't bode well for her imminent return," she said, shaking her newly highlighted hair over her shoulders. Gone were all signs of foil and wedges. She was dressed in tight jeans and a low-cut top, her long, mostly black hair falling loose.

"What about you?" Ambrose asked.

She laughed. "I have a date."

"I'm sure we could show you a better time," he said.

"Aww," she smiled. "It's cute that you think that. How old are you?"

"Eighteen," he lied.

"Sixteen," Jake answered. Ambrose shot him a look.

"Well, since you are Ella's brother and I'm guessing can handle whatever he tries," she pointed at Ambrose and smiled sweetly. "Just keep him out of my room. Later," she said, moving to the door.

"Wait! You're really leaving?"

"Um. Yeah," she frowned. "Wasn't I clear?"

"When will you be back?" Jake asked.

"Depends on if he's right and I start to feel like I'd really have a better time with you two. Bye," she grinned again and disappeared out the door.

"So much for going out and finding girls," Jake threw a pillow at his friends head.

"It ain't over 'til it's over," he said, sitting down on the couch and propping his feet up. Jake just looked at him. "Seriously, it's early. This is college. People don't even really start to party 'til midnight."

Jake sighed and sat down next to his friend on the couch. "Eighteen?" he laughed, unable to hold it in any longer.

Ambrose hit him with a pillow. "Shut up."


	36. Chapter 36

Title: Peer Pressure

Summary: Fourth installment in the WHW series. A Trory, of course. And, you know a billion other pairings.

Rating: T, for teen. Because there are so many of them running about.

"Did they break up?" Lorelai asked as they walked back toward the diner after the movie let out.

Luke looked at the woman that normally nearly dragged him by the arm to the diner for after movie pie. Tonight she was strolling along, almost lagging behind, in thought.

"Who?"

"Jess and Gwen."

"No, why?"

"Well, if something is up with Jess, and the kids are fine, and it's not Erin," she laid out.

"He and Gwen are together."

"Did he lose his job?"

Luke looked at her. "Why would he have lost his job?"

"Is he sick?"

"Why is it bad?"

"What?" she asked as he unlocked the door and turned to face her.

"Why are all the things you're asking about Jess, why are they all bad? Doesn't he deserve a break after everything that's happened to him?"

"Of course," she put her hand on his arm. "You just look preoccupied, concerned. I didn't think a good thing would make you concerned."

"I'm not concerned," he lied.

"Luke, what is it? Is he okay?"

"He's fine, he's just," he put the pie plate on the counter and handed her a fork.

"You handing me a fork isn't a sign that things are good," she pointed out.

"I promised him I wouldn't talk about it," he said finally.

"Oh."

"I mean, everything is fine, he's fine, it's just, he wanted time before," he began, unsure as to how to continue without giving away the thing he was supposed to hold in.

She put a forkful of apple pie in her mouth and chewed as he seemed to be searching for his next words. After everything he'd been through, she couldn't imagine what would happen in his life that he'd need time to adjust to before letting people know about it. . . .

"He's not," she started, but frowned. Luke looked at her carefully.

"What?"

She shook her head and swallowed the bite of pastry and sugary fruit. "Nothing, it's just, the only thing that I could imagine him wanting to get used to, before letting everyone in his life know about it, would be if Gwen was pregnant," she tried to sound flippant, but she eyed him carefully to see if he paled or winced or looked at her as if she were truly crazy.

"Would you blame him?"

His tone was even, so she played along. His eyes were trained on hers, so she looked down and scraped some crumbs onto her fork.

"No. I mean, I was in his situation, sort of. Having a raised kid when I got pregnant later on," she said. "Unmarried, to boot," she said. "But I guess these are things better discussed when and if he decides he wants to share what's going on with everyone."

Luke nodded, relieved. "Yeah, I guess so," he said, taking the offered fork and allowing himself a bite of pie as well.

XXXX

Jess carried in a tray of the re-warmed leftover Chinese food as Gwen came out of the bathroom with a toothbrush in her mouth. She took it out for a moment as he began to situate himself on the bed.

"Can you get rid of the one with all the sweet and sour?" she wrinkled her nose.

He looked up. "Serious?"

She nodded. "Like you wouldn't believe. I'm sorry, I know it's your favorite."

He looked into the carton of fried pork. "Nah, I'll just," he got up and jogged with the offending containers to the kitchen with him. He returned to find her settling down on the bed, pulling a container of fried rice toward her.

"So, I take it with all the food aversions and trips to my bathroom, you're either planning a remodel before you move in, or you've been to the doctor and he confirmed that you're actually," he looked down to her stomach.

She nodded. "Yep, it's all official. Gave me a prescription for vitamins, and we set up an appointment for an ultrasound."

"When is it?" he asked immediately, reaching for another random container, really wanting the flavor of the sweet and sour pork.

"Oh, next Tuesday. You don't have to come, it's just a preliminary checkup," she assured him.

"I'm coming," he said. "You couldn't beat me away."

"You're sure?" she asked. "There's gonna be lots of doctor's appointments, lots of them way more exciting," she said.

"I know, and I want to be there for all varieties," he assured. "It'd be easier if you don't argue about this," he warned.

"I know, it's your kid too," she smiled.

"That's not it," he half frowned as he forked some lo mein noodles, before slowly spinning some around the prongs.

"You enjoy doctor offices? Let me guess, you used to con the nurses into giving you more than one sucker?"

He grinned, showing that she was right. "I want to come for you. Though I'm sure I could wrangle you some extra suckers. Which flavor do you like the best?" he asked.

"Grape," she giggled. "Thanks, for being so supportive," she said, looking for a moment as if she were about to burst into tears.

"Hey," he said, putting his food down and drawing her into his arms. "You okay?"

"I'm fine, it's just all these hormones," she sniffed. "I cried at a car insurance commercial earlier," she confided.

He tried to hold in his laughter, but she glared at him. "You're being amazing," she said finally, after her ability to maintain her fixed evil gaze on him wore away. "Most guys, I can only imagine what would be happening right now," she began.

"I'm not gonna pretend that this doesn't freak me out, or that I think the timing is perfect," he started. "But as much as all of it should bother me, somehow," he held her gaze.

"It doesn't," she questioned.

"No. I don't know if it's because I've done this before, or that ever since I met you, I've just," he took her hand in his and held it against his heart. "Just from the moment you walked into Luke's, I wanted to be near you."

She was crying more by this point, unable to hold tears in if she'd tried. She touched his lips, as if to make him stop talking, but he continued.

"And I know you have trouble believing that I'm ready for this to be more, but it already is more, and not because of the baby," he looked like he wanted to fall into her eyes as he spoke.

"Jess, don't," she closed her eyes as she leaned her forehead in to his. As their skin met, she was breathing hard, clutching to his shirt.

"You love me," he whispered.

"Yes, but," she whimpered.

"You know I want to marry you," he said in just as even a tone as before.

Her eyes opened. "Yes," she nodded.

"If you really don't want me to ask you, I won't," he conceded, waiting now with bated breath as he held the woman he loved in his arms.

She didn't hesitate—rather she paused.

"Ask me," she bid him.

XXXX

Rosa slammed the door shut behind her, and seemed to be glaring at the boys as if they represented all men in general.

"Isn't it early for you to be back?" Ambrose asked, in no way afraid of her nearly lethal stare.

"Is it ever too early to leave hell?" she tossed her purse toward her bedroom door, but missed as it hit the wall and slid down to the floor.

"I take it we're starting to look good to you?"

"One of you is, but I think it's more fun if I don't tell you which one," she teased.

"What, did he take a hair off your head and start flossing with it at the table?" Ambrose asked, causing her to smile genuinely at the reference.

"Close," she began. "His favorite topic was him and how he wouldn't dream of insulting my feminist sensibilities by paying for me, then preceded to hand me the check after I suffered through the disaster that was dinner."

Ambrose raised an eyebrow.

"So, I dumped my drink in his lap, took my purse, and hailed myself a cab."

"I like your style," Ambrose said as she slumped down between them.

"You don't say," she laughed to herself and picked up the phone.

"It's still off," Jake informed her, speaking of his sister's cell phone.

"I figured," she said as she waited for her caller to pick up. "Hey. I have some guests that need entertained, and I could use a pick me up myself," she explained to the other end, and the boys just continued on in their method of killing time—chick flicks and diet soda—the best they could scrounge up in the girls' suite.

XXXX

Ella took Jasper's hand as he began to jog down the hallway, ever on the lookout for someone in an official hotel uniform. They'd been pressing themselves into walls, peering around corners, and now he jiggled the door handle as she waited, on the lookout for his illegal actions.

Once he popped the door and let them in, she giggled and fell onto the bed in awe.

"Wow," she breathed. "I don't think I've ever felt sheets this soft," she said, running her hands over the pillow cases. "I never want to stop feeling this pillow," she said, looking up at him. "Sorry," she cringed.

"They are nice," he nodded, leaning back against a wall rather leisurely.

"How long do you suppose we have?" she asked.

He held up a room key. "As long as you like."

She sat up properly, her mouth agape. "But, you—we, why?"

"Didn't you have fun?"

"Well, yeah, but," she said as he moved to sit down next to her on the bed.

"I wanted the option for spontaneity. I'd have hated to see the look on your face had we wanted a room only to find they were all occupied," he explained.

"I see, and you weren't, by chance, hoping that I would want to see one of these very posh rooms, were you?"

He smiled. "Not at all. I expected only lady-like behavior from you."

"So, the eating the entire piece of chocolate cake by myself blew my cover?" she wrinkled her nose in delight.

"A bit. But no more than my manhood was blown in not being able to finish my own piece."

She held up the container of his half-eaten cake. "More for me to enjoy tomorrow."

"Promise you'll think of me."

"You want me to equate you with perfection and heaven on earth?" she teased.

"Yes," he leaned in to kiss her softly.

"You gave up all rights to this cake, Buster," she fluttered her eyes open slightly, but he smirked and leaned back in to make her forget about the cake.

XXXX

Tristan rolled over onto his side, where he noted in his half-slumbered wakefulness that his wife was still laying on her back, staring with wide eyes up at the dark ceiling.

"You sleep?" he asked groggily.

"No," she whispered back.

"Go to sleep, big day," he yawned, trying to pull her body flush against his in efforts to help her relax.

"Can't you hear the crickets?" she asked.

"What?"

"The constant clicking, and what is that sound that gets louder, like the Doppler effect? There isn't a NASCAR track around here, is there?"

"Those are cicadas, and what NASCAR track would be running in the middle of the night?" he asked, now a bit more awake at her questioning.

"Cicadas?"

"Just go to sleep," he yawned, hoping her rant would wind down now.

"You can sleep though all that noise?"

"It's nature."

"It seems wholly unnatural."

"Rory," he groaned, slipping a hand under her t-shirt to rest warmly against her stomach.

"Would you have moved, if it'd been me?"

"Are we discussing this now? We have to be up early," he reminded.

"I'm serious. If I'd gotten a job offer would you have just quit your job and picked up to move?"

"Yes. I've done it before, and I've turned down other jobs that have meant moving us earlier," he reminded her.

"Sorry. I'm being insane. Let's go to sleep," she curled her body into his and a moment of silence passed between them.

"Rory?" he asked.

"Sleep," she reminded.

"You're not sorry that we're doing this, are you?"

She turned to face him, pressing the front of her body now into his. "I've never been sorry about anything concerning you. I don't plan on starting now."

He nodded and kissed her. "Sleep?"

"Sleep," she kissed him once more, quickly to seal their conversation, and she shifted to rest her head against his chest, to be lulled to sleep by the beating of his heart.

XXXX

Jess was standing in the dark kitchen, eating out of a single carton with a pair of wooden restaurant chopsticks. He heard the soft click of his front door shutting, looked up to see his daughter was home seven minutes to the dot past her midnight curfew, and dug his sticks back down into the carton. Her soft padding was clearly an effort not to alert her sleeping father to her late arrival. She rounded the corner into the kitchen, and her hand flew to her heart as her eyes had adjusted and saw his form leaning into the island, still eating his food in the dark.

"Ohmigod," she exclaimed.

"Shh, you'll wake Gwen," he chastised, but couldn't help be laugh at the sight of it all.

"What are you doing?" she asked rather harshly, not pleased at the alarming rate her heart had reached, out of sheer terror.

"Eating, want some?" he waved the box in front of her, and she took an extra chopstick and speared a piece of pork on the end.

"Huh. That's an unusual approach," he frowned as she dipped her pork into the sauce, letting it soak through the breading.

"Don't most parents wait in the front room with the lights on?" she asked.

"I wasn't waiting up to catch you coming in after curfew," he promised.

"You weren't?"

"Just a midnight snack, I promise. Though you were late, and you will suffer the consequences."

"Usually the pork is the first thing to go," she frowned. "And why didn't you just take it back to bed? Gwen doesn't like food in the bed?"

"Long story. So, you guys have fun?"

"We just went to a movie."

"Where?"

"The Village."

He gave her a look but said nothing.

"I need to go shopping next week," she said, stabbing another piece.

"Do all girls say that all the time, or is it my imagination?"

"I need stuff for school. I'm the girlfriend of a varsity basketball player," she teased.

"Yeah, speaking of that, are you trying to kill me? I mean, I realize being a teenager you aren't supposed to like me, but I was hoping to at least get favorite parent this year," he gave her a look.

"Court is great," she said.

"Well, he was sufficiently scared of me," he grumbled. Jules giggled and leaned in to kiss his cheek, causing him to smile as it always had.

"He asked if you had guns," she smirked.

"You tell him yes?"

"You don't have guns," she laughed harder.

"I can get them if I need them," he said instead. "I want to know the second I need to put this kid in a headlock."

"I promise," she nodded. "Why are you really up?"

"Being the father of teenagers is hard on a guy," he put his arm around her and offered a piece of pork up to her lips. She took it with her teeth and munched on it in silence. "How about Gwen taking you shopping?"

Jules nodded. "Is she feeling better?"

"Yeah. But I should go back and check on her. You want the rest of this?" he offered.

"Maybe we should save it—we might be having more of these late night talks," she smiled and headed down the hall to her room, disappearing just before the soft light appeared from under her door. He sighed, realizing that everything was different now. His daughter was dating, his kids were happy—he was happy. It'd been so long since the house was filled with a general sense of contentment in the air. He just hoped that continued once they shared their news with the kids.

XXXX

Ella had Jasper's neck encircled with her arms. Their lips had been fused for the better part of the last twenty minutes, as they'd made attempts to say goodnight. This was their first official date, after all, and she'd never been a girl to jump into such physical decisions so soon. They'd had their fair share of being unable to deny themselves the pleasure of being together—and they'd lingered longer in both her bedroom the night before and the luxurious sweet this evening than she'd planned to. Perhaps she was just learning these things couldn't be planned. She'd told herself that she'd deserved the cheering up after the night that Pax had subjected her to—and tonight, well, she'd just never been in such a nice place in her whole life—and she'd been in some fancy places. How could she not take advantage of the surroundings with a boy as charming as the one that she was currently in the arms of?

"Can I come in?" he breathed.

"I shouldn't," she groaned as his lips continued to plead his case against her jaw.

"Why not?"

"Rosa will be home," she argued.

"She was home last night," he reminded.

"Jas," she pushed his chest with her hands gently, needing air to formulate a reasonable response. "I had the most wonderful time, but I think that we shouldn't be in any hurry," she swallowed. "If you come in now," she trailed one hand that had been used to push him back down his chest. "It's just not how I want to do this."

He nodded, reluctantly, his eyes filled with desire to disobey her common sense and carry her though to her room. "Okay. Does that mean we'll be doing this again?"

"God, I hope so," she leaned up again and caught his lips against hers, surprising him a bit at first, but he pulled her back against him and nearly made her forget all her prior comments as he backed her against the door. When she felt the handle in her back, she let out a soft whimper.

"It's late," she whispered.

He nodded. "Enjoy your cake," he smirked and kissed her cheek once more before turning to leave her to unlock her door and creep back into her darkened room.

She didn't bother collecting herself or combing down wild hairs that had been mussed in the rather intense goodbye she'd just experienced. The thought to do so never entered her mind as when she opened her door she found light, not dark, and a crowd instead of emptiness.

There was music playing, and Rosa was laughing her head off as she seemed to be allowing her body to be steered around by Ambrose—doing some dance that she'd seen her great-grandparents do back she used to see them as a young girl at parties with their friends. It was definitely not a modern style of dance—it was much too involved for that. Her brother was seated on the couch next to Pax, both drinking out of darkened tumblers and now looking at her. She swallowed, not sure which one she minded seeing her like this more. She set her cake down on their mini-fridge as Rosa called out.

"Els, come help me!"

Not meeting the eyes of either seated boy, she moved to Ambrose and Rosa. "What are you doing here?"

"Taking up your gracious hospitality?" he offered.

"Or?"

"Dad banished me from the house while Jules' boyfriend came over to meet him."

"Nice," she shook her head.

"Move it, white boy," Rosa moved from Ambrose and grabbed Ella by the hips and hand. Rosa whipped her head around to face Ambrose for another second. "Oh, and take notes."

"What are we doing?" Ella asked.

"Jitterbugging," she smiled. "You can follow a lead, right?"

"Uh," she frowned.

"Unlikely," Jake said, which earned him a glare from his sister.

"Shut up," she stuck her tongue at him and nodded at Rosa. "Just come on," she sighed.

Rosa put the CD on repeat and the music began to swell again. Rosa walked her through a couple of steps, and having recognized them from her elder family member's parties from long ago, she picked up the steps quickly. Soon the girls were going full tilt, laughing and kicking their shoes off.

"I didn't know you could do that," Jake said as they slowed to a stop.

"Me either," she smirked.

"I mean, Mom can't even find a beat," he continued.

"Maybe I take after Dad, he can dance," she reminded.

Jake shrugged. "You're hopeless," he told Ambrose.

"If Ella can do it, so can I. Give me another lesson?" he stuck his lower lip out to Rosa in playful sorrow.

She laughed. "Why should I? You stepped on my foot earlier," she chastised.

"You stepped back," he pointed out.

"It's late," she said.

"Since when does that slow you down?" Ella tossed out at her friend, who narrowed her eyes at her. Ella shrugged, opened up the container of cake, and took a bite. Jake tried to swipe the fork from her hand, but she smacked at his.

"Get your own," she shook her head.

"At this hour?"

"Not to mention it's quite a drive to Belhurst," Pax chimed in. Ella caught his eye mid-chew and shrugged.

"'Suppose so."

"Wait, Belhurst Castle? Who'd you go out with, one of the Rockefellers?" Jake asked.

Ella rolled her eyes. "I'm tired. You sleeping in my room or out here?" she asked Jake as she stood up.

Jake looked to the dancing pair, wondering when the party would break up. "I guess on your floor."

"I'll get the extra mattress," she nodded and turned to go into her bedroom to get it ready for her impromptu visitor. She was tugging at the mattress in the back of her closet, where it'd been shoved by Will and Luke on her first night—after some weird comments from Luke about like mother, like daughter, and Rory's insistence that she really had forgotten in all the excitement of the summer to call the mattress removal guys—when she heard her door shut. She swiveled her head to see Pax moving toward her, his arms outstretched to grab the other side of the mattress.

"I can get it," she said quietly.

"I know," he said, continuing to help her heft the thing out nearly effortlessly with the force of both of their arms lifting it out of it's resting place. "I hope for his sake you washed your extra sheets," he said.

Ella smiled quickly, but wiped it away to resume her look of disdain. "I wouldn't do that to him."

He caught her sharp tone—as if he could miss it. "Ella," he sighed and sat down on the edge of her bed as she began to unfold sheets onto the top of the mattress on the ground. "I screwed up."

She shot him a look. "I know."

"I know you know," he breathed out loudly. "I'd say I don't know what came over me, but that's not true," he admitted. "I'd like to make it up to you."

She shrugged as she sat on her folded knees beside the now covered mattress. "How?"

"Well, I see that Jasper has beaten me to the ever popular chocolate cake," he smiled slightly, "But I do have other tricks up my sleeve."

"I highly doubt any of them taste as good at that cake," she said.

He smirked. "I thought you said you didn't want to compare us."

"It's really good cake."

"It was stupid of me to corner you like that."

"Yes," she nodded.

"I won't do it again."

Her eyes flashed. "Why did you?"

"Isn't it a bit early in our relationship to break out the brutal honesty?" he asked.

"We don't have a relationship," she reminded. "And unless you want to keep it that way," she warned.

"The way you were looking at him, and I knew where he'd take you tonight," he closed his eyes. "I couldn't stand to think," he opened his eyes.

"I was looking at you, too," she said softly. "You can't compare the two situations," she urged.

"It's all I can do! Dating more than one person is one thing, but you're not dating random people here. He's my best friend; we're everything the other isn't. That's why we get along so well, but when it comes to dating the same girl," he began.

"I don't want to be the cause of you two losing your friendship. Maybe it'd be easier if I just," her eyes welled up a bit, hating the thought of what she was about to say.

"I'll figure it out," he cut her off. "Just let me know if we're still on for tomorrow."

"Well, my brother is here now," she bit her lip.

"Let Rosa entertain them. She's good at it," he smiled softly.

"Okay. We're on," she nodded, standing up from her crouched position. She walked him to her door and lingered before touching the door handle. He looked like he might kiss her, and truth be told, no matter how much fun she'd had with Jasper tonight there was a part of her that had been aching to see what it felt like with Pax—they'd had so many 'almost' moments. She looked into his green eyes and waited.

"You're wrong, you know," he barely whispered.

"What?" she asked, clearly not hearing the words she thought she was in for.

"You said there was nothing between us—just because we haven't gone out, that doesn't mean there's nothing between us."

She gasped a bit as his hand came up to her cheek, this thumb stroking down the length of her cheekbone. Her eyes closed in anticipation of his lips seeking hers, but all she felt was his lips as they followed the same path as his thumb had. When he opened the door to slip out, he left her even more thunderstruck than she'd imagine he could, only managing to look after him as he smiled back and went out the main door. Her brother approached her, wanting entrance to the place where he had decided to crash for the night.

"What's with you?"

"Huh?" she asked, focusing her blue eyes on her brother's face.

"You look like Mom, right after—oh, God!" he groaned. "You didn't do anything on my mattress, did you?"

"I do not look like Mom," she turned and stalked off to her bed. He followed and shut the door, leaving Rosa to entertain Ambrose.

"Weren't you on a date with someone else tonight?"

"We didn't do anything!" she exclaimed, not willing to be hounded about this by her younger brother.

"He likes you."

"I know," she said, looking at him finally. "How do you know, did he talk about me?"

"He asked about you," he shrugged.

"What did he ask?"

Jake smirked. "Does it matter? You're dating someone else."

"I'm going out with Pax tomorrow night."

"You're back to this again?" he groaned.

"Back to what?" she demanded.

"Els, before you dated Billy, you dated every guy at our school."

"I did not," she rolled her eyes.

"You were a serial offender. You didn't wait for the last guy to get cold before you were on to the next one."

"This is different," she frowned.

"How?"

"It's just two guys—I just got out of a serious relationship! I'm allowed to date whomever I want. They both know about it."

"That makes it better?"

"What do you care? You're a guy, you should understand; it's not like they're not free to date other girls."

"What are you going to do, when you see them dating other girls?"

"What?"

"Wednesday afternoon, when you're dragging your ass to get coffee before class, and you see one of the guys you're stringing along, with their arm around some other girl as he buys her coffee—you're telling me you won't care one way or another?"

"Look, Jake, this is college," she tried to reason her unwillingness to discuss the topic further.

"Fine," he held up his hands. "I just wouldn't expect to get a chance to choose between these guys if you put the decision off too long."

She looked at him for a beat. "What did Pax ask?"

"If you normally dated more than one guy, what your favorite kind of flowers were," he started, then smiled. "And he asked me what I used to do to really drive you nuts when we were little."

Ella frowned. "He what?"

"Hey, you're dating him," Jake laid down on the mattress.

She peered down from her mattress. "Not yet. You told him about that?"

Jake laughed. "I still don't see why it bothered you so much."

"It's creepy!" she defended her behavior.

"Saying Beetlejuice three times in a row isn't going to drag you into the Netherworld," he laughed.

"It's the guy with the shrunken head," she glared at him. "Thanks a lot; I'm never going to be able to sleep now."

"So go out there and pry Am off of Rosa," he suggested, yawning to signify he'd have no trouble falling into a peaceful slumber.

"I'll give him another hour—by then she might be so tired she'd need the help," she pulled the covers up over her head, not wanting to see any shapes in the darkness that could be construed as anything that might shrink her head.


	37. Chapter 37

Title: Peer Pressure

Summary: Fourth installment in the WHW series. A Trory, of course. And, you know a billion other pairings.

Rating: T, for teen. Because there are so many of them running about.

Jess cursed loudly as the phone rang, seemingly off the hook, waking him up from what might have been the best night's sleep he'd ever had. He planned on cramming in as many truly restful nights' sleep as he could from now until a baby would arrive to ensure never again would he sleep through the night.

Gwen groaned and rolled over onto her side as she dragged a pillow over her head. He grunted as she hid, grumbling about how this was her house too, now. When he got no answer and the phone rang yet again, he picked it up.

"What?"

"Jess?"

"If you have to ask, I'm hanging up," he pronounced, which caused the caller to cry out.

"You'd hang up on your father?"

"Not like I haven't done it before," he said, yawning.

"I called. Didn't the kid tell you?"

"Do you know this kid's name?"

"You know, once upon a time, you weren't out to bust my balls."

"I'm assuming we're discussing this because you have some sort of reason to be calling at ungodly hours? Why are you even up? It's three hours earlier there!"

"Sash has me on this new sleeping schedule, she says that it'd give me energy, and I said, how could anything that has me up at that hour give me energy, and you know what? I have more energy! How did she do that? I think she's putting something in the eggs."

"Jimmy. You have thirty seconds and I'm going back to sleep—my own source of energy."

"Your wife keeps calling me," he announced.

"My wife?" he asked, scanning his recollection for whether or not he'd mentioned his divorce or his new relationship with Gwen to Jimmy. Or for that matter, when he'd last spoken to Jimmy.

"Sorry, ex-wife. I shouldn't forget that. I never liked her. But she is the mother of my grandchildren."

"Why is she calling you?"

"She keeps asking me what you're up to with Gwen."

"Her name you remember?"

"I figured it better stick—you did call me to tell me about her. You never call me to tell me anything. Even with Jules, when she was born, your mother called me. I thought she hated me, I don't know why she calls me."

"She knows it bugs you," Jess answered easily.

"I gotta get caller ID," he said.

"I thought Sasha was more reliable than caller ID."

"She's not here all the time. Well, not physically."

"If you start talking about her being in your heart, I'm gonna hurl."

"Anyhow, Erin says she wants to come visit the kids, and she thinks they might be more open to a visit from her if I tagged along."

"What?" Jess asked, now sitting up in bed. Gwen's foot shifted in her slightly disrupted sleep, kicking him in the shin.

"I didn't want to tell her yes, but she just keeps calling, she's sure the kids aren't adjusting to Gwen living with you—is this woman really living with you?"

"Well, she wasn't, but," Jess began. "Why am I telling you this?"

"You can't help it. You meet the right girl, you just can't help it."

"You're not seriously coming out here," he began.

"She bought the tickets, and, well, she is their mother. If she's concerned, she's not gonna let it rest 'til she sees there's nothing to worry about. And if I can help you get her to see that you're doing fine without the evil, whoring," he began.

"Jimmy," he sighed. "Fine. But you're not staying here. There's a lot going on, you'll have to get a hotel."

"I'll pass the information along."

"Do I get an ETA, or is this a random act of intrusion?"

"Monday, she wanted to get there before school started."

"Great," Jess groaned. "Thanks, for the heads up. Sorry I didn't call back, I've just," he began.

"You don't owe me explanations. You're raising two teenagers, being a good father. She should trust you more."

"Thanks, Jimmy," he said, and then hung up the extension. He looked down at the sleeping form of the woman that had recently accepted his proposal, and tucked his body around hers, drawing the covers over their joined bodies and falling back to sleep on the lazy Saturday morning.

XXXX

Ambrose woke up to the sound of the door shutting. He opened his bleary eyes to see someone advancing on his makeshift bed—also known as the girls' couch. Someone had covered him up with blankets and tucked a blanket under his head. A guy was coming toward him, but he didn't move to sit up. He had no idea what time he'd fallen asleep the night prior, but he knew when he did, it was late and he was happy.

"Shove over," the other guy suggested.

"Should you be in here?" Ambrose asked.

"Should you?"

"I'm Ella's brother's best friend," he supplied.

"I'm Rosa's brother."

"Oh," he said, sliding his feet aside.

"I see you've met her?" he smirked.

"You could say that."

"She mentioned she had a puppy dog for the weekend."

"Excuse me?"

"I'm sure you're a very nice person," he said with some level of disinterest.

"I'm feeling a blow off here," he began.

"Smart, too," he smirked now.

"I get that she thinks I'm young."

"Good, so, we're square?"

"I don't care that she thinks I'm young. She had a good time with me."

"Okay, see, I thought you were getting the message, but clearly that's not the case. My sister, for reasons I don't ever want to know, dates older guys. Not like milking for their Social Security checks or anything creepy, but ones a couple years older, ones that have real jobs and nice cars. You have a job?"

"Is she here?" he evaded.

"She's out. Look, just, have fun while you're visiting our girl Ella, and for your own sake, put my sister out of your head. It's never going to happen."

"Don't worry about me," he assured him. "I don't chase after hopeless cases."

"Good," Grey stood up. "Now I can get on with my own day," he shook his head. "You got a sister?"

"Yeah," Ambrose nodded knowingly.

"Yeah," Grey shook his head and laughed, leaving him once again alone in the main suite.

XXXX

"Well, that's a lot of information," the therapist said as she crossed her legs and jotted down more notes on her notepad. Will and Anna exchanged glances and looked back at her.

"You've both been through quite a bit, singularly, and while we'll work through those issues, first I'd like to tackle what I see as a larger issue—one that might hinder you working through them at all."

"What's that?" Anna asked, sneaking a side glance at Will.

"Well," she adjusted her glasses slightly. "You two have known each other a very long time," she began.

"Our whole lives," Will added.

"But you've only recently, in comparison, begun to be romantically linked."

"It's been the last year, yes," Anna said.

"It's difficult, for people in this situation, to truly communicate with each other. You've skipped the niceties that most couples go through, developmentally speaking, in getting to know each other's needs. You thought, on a subconscious level, that it was unnecessary, given that you already know one another as friends, to continue the exploration. And I must tell you, before we do any further work, you must break down that idea, go back, and relearn each other."

"So, you're saying we don't know each other?" Will asked, clearly perplexed.

"I'm saying that you it's quite possible that you tend not to share your feelings enough because you believe you already think you know how the other is feeling. But romantic feelings are quite different than platonic feelings. You need to dig deeper, pull from much more instinctual reserves—but you have to hone those instincts and retrain them to think of each other as the love of your lives instead of just your friend."

Will and Anna stared at the therapist for a long moment, and Will slipped his hand over Anna's. "How do you suggest we do this?" he inquired.

"Be much more vocal with each other. Announce simple thoughts or desires that you would otherwise assume the other would know—pretend you just met. Pretend that you don't know how she likes her coffee, or that she has no clue as to what toppings you like on your pizza. Do that in all aspects of your life. That's your assignment from now until we next meet."

"You want us to do this for the next two weeks?"

The therapist nodded and smiled. "Then we'll determine how well that has gone, and move on from there."

Will nodded. "Thank you," he nodded to the woman who was still clutching at her notepad, now filled with all their 'issues'. He turned to face Anna. "You ready to go?"

"Yeah," she nodded.

"Very nice," their actions were graded. "Keep it up, and I'll see you in two weeks."

XXXX

"You said you loved the fence."

Rory shrugged from inside the closet. "The fence is external."

"The foundation is very solid, the structure is very sound," he repeated what the realtor had just told them before leaving them to discuss its potential. Part of him wished she'd come back and help him out.

"But look at these closets! This house has very little storage room."

"It has a basement and an attic."

"Yeah, but people never go down into basements or up into attics to retrieve their stuff. It just sits where you've parked it, forever gathering dust, and no one finds out what you have until you die and your kids are forced to go through it all."

"You want to look at more houses? If this one isn't what you want, the realtor said there were dozens that met our requirements."

Rory said nothing, just kept staring at the back of the empty closet. Tristan stepped up to put his arms around her waist. He leaned his head down to hers.

"You can't compare every house to ours—unless you want to build a replica of the New York house down here, in which case we'd be in temporary housing for about a year."

"No," she sighed, leaning back into his chest. "I just need to let go."

"I know we're happy in New York, but we can find a good place here, too. It'll just take time to adjust," he said.

"Yeah," she turned around in his arms and closed her eyes as he kissed her reassuringly. She began to kiss him back when a loud clearing of a throat occurred behind him.

"Not to interrupt," she said loudly.

"Sorry," Rory winced.

"Not at all. I was just wondering if you were interested in putting in a bid or seeing other homes?"

"We'd like to see other homes, but mark this one as a maybe."

Tristan smiled at his wife's decision, and walked out of the room with his hand on the small of her back, wondering how long it would take for her to truly feel okay about this move.

XXXX

Pax opened the door and slid inside. He'd been careful not to wake anyone he hadn't meant to wake all morning. Now armed with the ultimate in arousal means, he sat down on the edge of Ella's bed and moved the cup toward her nose.

Her eyes flipped open as her hand reached out for the cup. When her hand overlapped Pax's, she sat up a bit, as if she just realized he was in the room.

"What are you doing here?" she whispered.

"Why are you whispering?" he followed suit.

"Jake is here," she looked down on the now empty mattress on the floor.

"I took care of that," he assured her.

"You sent him home?" she asked, sounding a bit annoyed—and a bit in awe.

He chuckled. "No. I set him up in the weight room at the rec center."

"How'd you get him in? He doesn't have an ID."

He just smiled. "I know people. Just drink your coffee and get dressed."

"It's Saturday. And it's not noon," she pointed to her alarm clock.

"We have a date," he reminded.

"Tonight," she corrected.

"Think of it as a pre-date warm-up."

"Pax," she groaned. "I'm tired," she informed him as she fell back against her pillows in attempts of defeating him.

"I brought you coffee," he shook his head.

"Which earns you points, but," she argued.

"I promise if you're not having fun, at any point, I will carry you back here so you can take a nap."

She looked at him in earnest. "Well, you don't have to carry me," she promised.

"I'll just wait out there," he stood up and left her alone to get ready.

XXXX

"I want coffee," Gwen groaned.

"Decaf," Jess offered.

"I hate you."

"I understand. You want breakfast?"

"Uhhn," she groaned and rolled over. "Oh, God, not again," she prefaced her jumping out of bed and heading for the bathroom. He sighed and waited a minute before approaching the door.

"Can I do anything?"

The toilet flushed, and he heard running water. When she opened the door, she was brushing her teeth. "Bagels from the deli on 86th?"

He looked at her for a beat and nodded. "If Jules wakes up before I get back, try to keep her happy dance in check. Last time she was still groggy and tripped on that table in the hallway."

"They are good bagels. Hey, Jess?"

"Yeah?" he asked as he pulled his jeans up over his boxer shorts.

"Are you doing this because I'm all pregnant and throwing up?" she asked, clearly looking a bit guilty.

"It was more because of the whole agreeing to marry me thing," he smirked as he got his shoes on his feet. He moved to stand before her in the bathroom doorway and kissed her forehead. "I'll be back."

"Wait," she put her hand on his chest. "What about the kids?"

"I'll get enough to feed everybody," he assured her.

"I meant telling them. When are we going to tell them about … everything?"

He had thoughts of his conversation with his father in his head, along with his desire to get everything out in the open so he could concentrate on the months of making sure Gwen had nothing else to worry about.

"I have something to tell you," he began slowly.

"You changed your mind?"

"No," he shook his head, sighing as he took her hand and led her to the bed, indicating for her to sit. "Look, the phone call, earlier," he stopped.

"Is Ambrose okay?" her hand moved to his knee.

He smiled. "He's fine; it was my father."

"Your father?"

"Yeah. He's coming for a visit."

Gwen frowned. "That seems odd. Isn't he in California?"

"Yeah," Jess acknowledged. "He's coming with Erin."

"Erin," she said with realization. "She's coming back?"

"For a visit. With the kids," he clarified.

"Oh. Okay," she frowned. "And you want to wait to tell them, until after?"

"I don't want to, I just want to give them enough time to adjust, and Erin might make that difficult," he said gingerly. "I don't want to make this hard on you."

She smiled. "That's sweet, but I got myself into all this same as you did. And we're happy about all of this, so theoretically everyone else should be too, right?"

He nodded with a look of disbelief on his face. "Theoretically."

"Good," she leaned forward to kiss him. "I'll check on Jules while you get bagels."

"Okay, but, we didn't decide on when to tell them," he said as she nearly pushed him out the door.

"We'll just do it when Ambrose gets home, together, now scoot, I'm hungry," she urged, and he just shook his head and grabbed his wallet on his way out the door.

XXXX

Billy walked into the kitchen, grabbed a banana, and attempted to get to his room without being stopped. Lia watched with interest from her seat at the table next to her father, and her mother wielded a spatula at him to stop him.

"Hey!" he yelped.

"Where've you been?" she asked.

"Weren't you the one telling me not to mope around the house? To get out more?"

"Yes, but see, I like you to tell me where you've gone out to," she clarified.

"Just out. I need to get ready for work."

"Want French toast to go with the banana?"

"I'll be late," he kissed his mother's cheek and made for his bedroom.

"You know anything?" Sookie used her implement to point at her daughter.

"Hey!" Lia frowned. "I know nothing, I don't like to poke into his private life. It tends to skeeve me out. I'm going over to Susan's," she announced as she washed her plate off and stuck it in the dishwasher. "Bye," she called out on her way out the door.

"What about you?" Sookie asked Jackson.

"I can have a talk with him," he offered.

"No, we've got to trick him into telling us," she announced. "I'll talk to Lorelai," she said.

"Hey, I can be sneakier than Lorelai," he stood up.

"Oh, honey, that's cute," she patted his back.

"Not that we need to rehash this, but I did get you to allow me to deep fry a turkey," he reminded.

"I was young and naïve then," she said, clearly not giving room to allow him to pull a trick like that again.

"Well, Billy is young and naïve," he pointed out.

"Fine. I give you two days to find out what he's up to, then I call Lorelai."

"Oh ye of little faith," he shook his head as they went about cleaning up after the breakfast dishes.

XXXX

Jake grunted as he lifted the bar up off of his chest for the tenth time. Ambrose stood over him, at the ready for when he found it next to impossible to lift the weighted bar off his chest again.

"You really want to have to do this every day?" he watched the bar lower again.

Jake let out a breath. "It's actually fun. Gets all the frustration out," he said.

"What frustration do you have?"

"Just, life, I don't know. Shut up, you're breaking my concentration."

Ambrose rolled his eyes and watched his friend do two more reps before he called out for a rest so they could add more weight to the end of the bar.

"What did you think of Rosa?" Ambrose asked as he settled the bar over the holder for his friend.

Jake looked up from grabbing more weight that he wanted to add to one end of the bar. "You mean other than the fact you have no shot with her?"

"I should have let the bar fall on you," he glared.

"You never liked things sugar-coated before," he shrugged. "Why start now?"

"Her brother came over this morning to give me the blow off," he informed him.

"Does it matter?" Jake asked.

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, we're going home tomorrow morning—it's not like you don't have girls on some sort of wait list at home."

"Yeah, but none of those girls," he started, but thought better of what he was going to say. "She liked me."

"So? What's it matter if she likes you, if she has no interest in dating you?"

"That makes no sense," he said.

"They're girls, when were they supposed to make sense?" Jake asked as he finished adding the extra weight. "Tonight we'll go out with the guys and meet other girls and you'll have forgotten all about Rosa."

"Right. I'll just occupy my mind with other things," he said thoughtfully. "Is that why you're lifting weights?"

Jake just groaned and lifted the heavier bar up off his chest.

XXXX

"I've failed as a mother," Lorelai said into the phone.

"Mom, come on," Rory said as she and Tristan waited to be seated at the restaurant. Clearly 'just a moment' was a relative phrase—it'd been more than several moments and Tristan couldn't rightly complain when she took the call from her mother.

"Your brother is in therapy. Only people who've had traumatic childhoods go to therapy. Like, I, for instance, should have been in therapy. I tried to shield you two from that kind of mental anguish."

"We weren't mentally anguished," she soothed.

"I've worked so hard all these years, and what do I get? A daughter that moves to the Deep South, a son that's trying to blame me for his inability to foster a healthy relationship with a woman, and a husband that is hiding major life changes from me!"

"So, let me get this straight—you think I'm in Georgia, Will might be gay, and Luke bought a sports car without telling you?"

"Did I suffocate you too much?"

"Sometimes when you insisted on sleeping in my bed, I did wake up with your arm over my face," Rory mused.

"What about Will? Did I ruin him for women?"

"Okay, Mom, take a breath. To tell you the truth, we haven't found a house yet, and we can't move until that happens, and Will is going to be just fine. He and Anna will figure out what is causing the trouble, and they'll get married. And as for Luke, well, he's your husband, make him tell you."

"Well, I sort of already know."

"Then why are you complaining?"

"Because you can't teach an old dog new tricks."

"Is it juicy?"

"Yes," she said emphatically.

"Dish!"

"I… can't."

"You can't? What, your lips don't work? Some sort of annunciation problem? Or maybe it involves a foreign word? Oh, God, it's not some sort of male health issue, is it?"

"No! And I'm not supposed to know—technically Luke didn't tell me, so I don't have clearance to tell you."

"Does it affect me?" Rory asked.

"Well, with you all the way down there in Georgia," Lorelai teased.

"I'm hanging up now. I think being on the phone is making them think we're okay with the long wait."

"I think all their clocks got burned in the War Between the States," Lorelai joked. "They must be fixing to start to get your table ready."

"Yeah, I'm hanging up now."

"Don't be a stranger, hear?" Lorelai joked into her phone.

"Suffocater!" Rory grumbled, then hung up quickly.

"What was that about?" Tristan asked, putting his arm around her as her stomach growled loudly.

"You folks ready?" their hostess approached them, and Tristan smiled in kind. Rory just frowned and followed along, wishing for the lightening fast pace of the City.

XXXX

Ella walked alongside Pax through the downtown shopping area of New Haven, and she turned to look at him questioningly.

"You're taking me shopping?"

"Sort of."

"There is no 'sort of' in shopping. Window shopping isn't shopping—it's an exercise in futility."

"I'm glad we agree," he mused, tilting his head toward the dry cleaner. "I need to do a few errands."

"Okay, when you said pre-date activities, I thought you meant we were going to get coffee or pick up tickets or something—getting your clothes I see as sort of a solitary activity."

He just smiled. "Just a little trust," he urged.

"Fine. But if our next stop is the bank or the grocery store, I'm leaving you two arms short for hauling your crap back to the dorms."

"Fair enough," he held the door open for her, and she ducked under his arm, careful not to brush against him. He let her enter the building before letting go of the door and approaching the counter.

"Ah, Paxton!" came the voice of the woman behind the counter.

"Hey, Mrs. Gladson, how are you?"

"It's so rare I get to see your face. Now your father, in his day, he always came in to see me."

"I'd like to think I'm a bit more academically minded than my father," he smirked.

"Your classes are going well?"

"So far so good," he said.

"And the young lady?"

"Ah, this is Ella Dugrey, Ella, this is Mrs. Gladson," he made brief introductions. "She was so good to accompany me today. Under duress, of course," he smirked harder and leaned into Ella's shoulder.

"It's nice to meet you," Ella smiled before she shot a warning look at Pax. He pulled out his wallet as Mrs. Gladson began to lay his jacket over the counter and made a small noise of remembrance.

"You forgot some things in the pockets," she said, moving to retrieve a small paper bag.

"Can you grab that?" Pax asked Ella as he continued extracting money from his wallet to pay for his dry cleaning.

"Just a pair of arms," she murmured for only him to hear as she took the bag graciously.

"You take such good care of me here," Pax thanked the woman.

"You tell your father hello and that I expect to see him on Parents' Weekend," she said.

"I'm sure you'll be a favorite on his stops through town."

She nodded and waved him off, as if he were being preposterous. He turned to Ella as he took his jacket and slung it over his shoulder. "Aren't you going to have a look?" he nodded to the bag.

"No," she shook her head.

"Come on, take a look," he encouraged.

"It's your stuff," she reminded.

"You sound so sure about that," he winked.

"You're saying you left my stuff in a jacket I've never seen before, and therefore you must have stolen from my room?" she inquired.

"I'm saying that I might have something in there that I want you to have," he corrected.

"Well, then, that's very different," she smiled and opened up the crinkly brown paper bag. Within the bag she found a fountain pen and a key.

"Isn't it a little soon for writing utensils? Is this like telling me you can't have sex with me, like a Lloyd Dobbler kind of thing?"

"The pen is actually mine," he hinted. "But you can write me, if you like. Everybody loves mail."

She picked up the key and ran her fingers over it. "Is this symbolic?" she looked up at him with wide blue eyes.

"No, it will allow you to see your next clue."

"I'm confused."

"That key fits a mailbox at the campus post office," he clarified.

"Oh, right, of course," she put the key in the bag and kept walking alongside him.

"Don't you think it's a little early to be swapping room keys?" he teased.

"Shut up," she couldn't help but smile as he linked his arm with hers, causing her to blush deeper, fully aware of the looks they were drawing from those around them.

When they reached the post office, they headed toward the less crowded area that held the post office boxes. She matched up the key to the correct box, stuck it in the keyhole, and turned to look at Pax.

"What's wrong?" he asked.

"This is yours, right?"

He nodded. "So?"

"So, this is your mail. I shouldn't be getting your mail."

"You have my permission," he assured her.

She took the key out and thrust it at him. "Just give me what you want me to have, I don't want to leaf through your mail," she said.

"You think I have adult magazines in there? Chances are I have a letter from my mom and a package slip telling me my godmother has done too much baking again," he said. "Maybe a credit card bill. But I promise the bulk of that should be school books," he smiled.

"Will you just," she held the key out at him again.

"Wimp," he muttered, taking it from her and moving in front of her to open his mailbox.

He pulled out an envelope and handed it to her. Giving him a look of hesitation, she took it in her hands and slid her finger under the flap to rip open the sealed paper. He leafed through the rest of it, holding up a multi-colored piece of paper that the dorms used as package slips.

"See? Ten bucks it's brownies; if it is, remind me to call Jasper and give him a heads up."

She paused her task of extracting the information out of her envelope to look up at Pax at the mention of the boy she assumed wouldn't be brought up during their date.

"Jasper?"

"His mom is my godmother, and vice versa. I told you we all grew up together," he said. "So, what do you have there?"

She turned her attention back to the envelope. She extracted a gift certificate for a local coffee shop with a note written on the back.

"'Use Me,'" she read.

"You gonna treat me?" he smirked.

"I can't decide if you're crazy or not," she looked at him for a moment.

"Let me know when you decide," he shrugged. "Shall we, then?"

"Why are you doing all this?" she asked as they walked along on the hot pavement of the sidewalk, toward the nearby coffee shop that he'd no doubt purchased her wake-up call from earlier this morning.

"All what?"

"You've gone through all this effort to plant clues, to lead me around, keep me intrigued," she led.

"It's nothing," he dismissed it.

"Pax," she put her hand on his arm, sliding it down to catch his hand as they walked.

He looked down at their joined hands, then up to her eyes. "It's the least I could do, after making you feel bad for this whole thing. I want you to know, I'm not normally like that," he said.

"I thought guys were ecstatic about the whole no strings thing," she smiled softly.

"I doubt you've run across too many guys that were fine with idea of you being with more than just them," he said plaintively.

She just blushed, having no good retort. They had made their way to the coffee shop, and he let go of her hand and stepped away.

"I'm gonna run to the bathroom—make sure to ask for whipped cream," he winked.

Her mouthed gaped into a surprised 'O', and she approached the counter. She had no idea what he wanted—so she decided on two of whatever she wanted, both with extra whipped cream, apparently. She decided on frozen mochas and she handed the card over as she added the whipped cream to the order. The barista smiled at her and nodded. "Right," she said. "Here's your receipt, don't lose that," she instructed.

Ella took the receipt and went to wait for the coffees to be handed over. She studied the small scrap of paper to see what was so necessary to keep. He'd somehow arranged it so that his address and today's date and 7:00 p.m. were printed on the receipt. She looked up to find him, no doubt watching her from some point across the room—only for her eyes to fall on a couple sitting at a table in the far corner. The boy was unmistakably Jasper—and the person sitting much too close to him was no doubt tall—based on the extremely long legs she had curled up under the table. She was blonde; her long, clearly not naturally colored locks arranged perfectly. Too perfect to be out on a study date.

"Ah, you got whipped cream," came Pax's voice as his hand slid around her waist. When she didn't respond, he looked up to see what had her attention.

"Oh," he let out a breath. "Ella," he began.

"Don't," she shook her head, pulling her eyes from the scene before her.

"I didn't know about this," he began.

"I would never think you would do anything like that," she assured him.

"You want to say hello, or just get out of here?"

"I just want to go," she began. "Do I have to wait until seven to see you again?"

He looked at her, as if assessing her state of mind. "I think I can come up with something else for us to do, to kill the time."

She nodded and handed him his drink. "Let's get out of here."


	38. Chapter 38

Title: Peer Pressure

Summary: Fourth installment in the WHW series. A Trory, of course. And, you know a billion other pairings.

Rating: M--NOTE RATING CHANGE! There was a need to delve into the Trory-lovin'. Steamy, not raunchy, but if you can't handle, don't read…

"I told her you're eighteen," Jasper yelled into Ambrose's ear. "You're golden," he handed him his third beer and indicated the girl that had been staring at him since they got to the party.

He didn't need telling twice. The girl had been giving him the eye since he took his first drink of beer that evening, and she seemed to be friendly with the girl that Jasper had come with. He and Jake had shown up with Greyson, who seemed to know everyone in the place. Jasper moved to dance with the blonde girl that hadn't seemed to have lost him in the crowd yet, so Ambrose followed suit to move to the girl.

"She really believes he's eighteen?" Jake asked Grey.

Grey shrugged. "Does it matter?"

He shrugged. "It just seems fake."

"Fake is a relative state of mind," Grey smirked. "None of these girls are looking for anything past the next two drinks—the next four hours max."

"Then what's the point?" Jake half yelled over the crowd.

"To drink and be merry," Grey laughed, pushing him out to the crowd so he could mingle.

XXXX

Ella sat down, touching the hair just above the tie of the blindfold Pax had insisted on her wearing. She'd been in and out of cars, up and down stairs, and she had no idea where she was at this point. She just knew she didn't want the stupid blindfold to mess up her hair any further.

"How much longer?"

"You can take it off," he said finally, taking a seat across from her. She untied the cloth, letting it fall into her lap and looked around her. He was fastening a seat belt across his lap.

"We're on a plane."

"A jet, actually," he agreed.

"Why are we on a jet?"

"You know a faster way to get to Maine by dinner?" he asked.

"Teleporter?" she teased.

"It's in the shop," he conceded. He shook his head as she let out an exasperated giggle and moved to secure her own lap belt. She hadn't said much since they'd seen Jasper in the coffee shop. They'd disappeared into a darkened theater to see a showing of _The_ _Maltese Falcon_ at the arty place just off campus, and he'd followed her around a bookstore afterward—looking for more unrequired reading for her classes. At long last he'd dropped her off to get ready, reminding her not to be late to pick him up.

"So, Maine?"

He nodded. "Been there before?"

"By car," she nodded. "You have some sort of summer home there?"

"We do, actually," he nodded. "But that's not where we're going."

"I won't bother to ask. I know how you boys love to keep a secret," she smiled.

"We just like to keep girls as mystified as we are," he raised an eyebrow as the jet engines roared up and they began to roll backward.

"What about me mystifies you?"

"You really want to know?"

"I'm not guaranteeing an answer—I have my shroud to protect," she joked.

He nodded and looked down at his lap for a moment before cocking his head just upturned enough to see her face. "Are you upset about Jasper?"

She bit her lip, knowing that she had no good answer for his question and no coy way to divert his attention in the confines of the jet. "How can I be?"

"It's human nature," he shrugged.

"Well, I told him just like I told you, that I'm not looking for anything serious right now. And his seeing other people just ensures that this won't get serious, right?"

Pax nodded. "I guess that's one way to look at it."

"Exactly," she frowned. "I mean, I'm sure you're seeing other people too," she added.

"You want to talk about that?" he sounded a bit freaked out.

"No," she said hurriedly. "I was just saying."

"Good, because right now I'd like us to just forget about everything except you and me and lobster," he confessed.

"I can do that," she smiled as the plane leveled out, reaching its maximum altitude for the short flight.

XXXX

Anna had been watching every movement Will had made since they left the therapist's office. She didn't know if they were supposed to discuss what they thought of session or just do as the doctor had said. Before, when she went through her therapy, she would discuss it with Will—the parts she was comfortable with, the parts she thought were crazy—but now….

"Did you want some dessert?" he asked from his seat on the couch, covering her ankles with his palm.

She shook her head. "I'm fine. You?"

"I'm good," he arched his back a bit to stretch it out. "I have a little bit of homework to do, do you mind if I head into the den?"

"Why would I mind?" she asked.

He raised his eyebrows.

"Will, can I ask you something?"

"I thought that was what we were supposed to be doing," he looked slightly alarmed.

"It is, it's just, do you think this is necessary? I mean, I can't pretend that I don't know that you're allergic to walnuts and hate it when people eat their pizza backward, and that the little noise you make when I kiss you means that you're happy," she began.

"I know, but the doctor said," he began.

"She's a doctor, not a deity," she rolled her eyes.

"Isn't it worth trying? I mean, she's right, we can't know everything about each other."

"Oh, really?" she contested.

"Really," he rubbed her foot a little as she crossed her arms.

"Prove it."

"How?"

"I don't know—we could do one of those self-trivia tests, like on _Friends_," she suggested flippantly.

"And just who do you think would be making up that very scary test?" he prodded.

"I don't know, Dave?"

Will looked at her, seeing the glint of excitement and competition in her eyes. "You think that Dave doesn't know things about me that you don't know and vice versa?"

"I'm feeling pretty confident," she nodded. "I mean, you and I were just as close as you and Dave were!"

"Don't think I won't call him right now."

"I am perfectly aware of how much you like a challenge," she smirked.

Will smirked. "I'm not so easily goaded," he settled back against the couch cushions.

She ran her foot up and down his thigh. "You're a tough cookie to crack, huh?" she asked.

He raised an eyebrow at her again and shifted in his seat as she drew her legs up toward her and sat up on her knees. By the time she'd covered his torso with hers, slowly climbing over his lap, he was attempting to steady his breath as she looked down at him.

"You know what you're getting yourself into?" he asked.

"I think I can handle it," she nodded as she leaned down to brush her lips across his earlobe.

He gripped the arm of the couch as she teased the skin of his neck. He pivoted his pelvis upward, moving her up into the air as he wrapped his hands up into her hair. They kissed at last, keeping up the heated back and forth of their earlier disagreement until he finally reached his breaking point.

"Fine," he breathed hard. "But you call him."

She smiled, showing she was pleased with her success. "If that's what you want."

He groaned as she moved off his lap, in search of the phone. "I'll just go out on the balcony, so I don't disturb your studying—you like quiet, right?"

His head fell back against the couch as she left him, frustrated and defeated.

XXXX

Jess was yet again grabbing his keys and wallet off the hall table, off in search of vegetarian 'chicken' nuggets and coleslaw. Gwen was holed up with the pregnancy book and the pita chips that she'd recently found at the local market. Her nausea was a bit better than last night, but he'd left the kitchen trashcan by the bed just in case.

He reached for the door handle and opened it just wide enough to see his daughter melded against the very boy he'd okayed himself just the night before. A move he was seriously rethinking as he caught sight of his daughter's mouth being opened by said boy, and his hands as they snaked around….

Jess cleared his throat and they jumped apart. He couldn't help but smirk.

"Dad!"

"Time to say goodnight," he cleared his throat again.

Jules looked at Court, a bit too longingly for his taste. "Verbally," he added.

"I'll call you later," she promised.

"Tomorrow," Jess amended.

"Tomorrow," she pouted a bit as Court nodded and said goodnight to first Jules, then Jess. Jess just glared a bit and kept the door open for his daughter to reenter the apartment. When she sat down on the arm of the sofa, she looked at him as he crossed his arms in wait.

"I can't believe you just did that!"

"I'm sorry, I'm not allowed to open my front door?"

"You were spying," she accused.

"I was on my way to the store."

"Again? At this hour?"

"So?"

"What is it with you? Is Gwen still sick?"

"Sort of," he shrugged.

"If she's sick, why are you getting food all the time? You hate making multiple trips to the store, you always tell us if we want something to get it on the list or forget about it," she frowned.

"Don't think you're going to distract me from the near-fatal heart attack I just suffered," he pointed to the door.

"What, like you were never a teenager?" she rolled her eyes.

"We're not talking about me," he held up his hand.

"I mean, you and Gwen are way worse than that," she pointed out.

"Again, this is my house," he pointed out.

"It's my house too," she shot back.

"Jules, you are my teenage daughter—I'm never going to be thrilled about seeing some guy doing that to you," he shuddered as he uttered the word 'that.'

"Dad," she eyed him in his disheveled state.

"Yeah?" he sighed.

"Is there something going on that you aren't telling me?"

Jess stepped forward to his daughter and put his arm around her. "Actually, your mom and grandpa Jimmy are coming for a surprise inspection," he informed her.

"When?" she asked.

"Monday."

"Why is Mom coming?"

Jess rubbed the back of his neck. "I think it stems from your brother's lovely speech about Gwen."

"Is Gwen really okay?"

"She's fine," he promised. "Come on, let's go to bed."

"Weren't you on your way out?" she asked cautiously.

"Oh, shit, er, thanks," he kissed her forehead and moved for the door. "And if you must call your boyfriend, keep it short?"

She nodded and smiled. "I promise."

He shook his head and left the apartment yet again.

XXXX

Tristan closed the door to the hotel room, and he could already hear his wife drawing a bubble bath in the large Jacuzzi tub that their room sported. She was on the verge of a meltdown—he was surer of that than he'd ever been. He'd seen her in every situation in life, but after searching for homes that she didn't want to move into all day, and waiting for other people's schedules to permit her to eat she was in no mood to do anything but unfurl her tight muscles in the midst of a hot bath.

He unbuttoned his shirt slowly, an idea of how best to help her acclimate to her surroundings starting to culminate in his head. He remembered being frustrated when he first arrived in the South—not only at his family and his strict school, but the odd culture shock. He'd welcomed it after he got used to it; it was almost as if everyone treated you like family. Or at least more like what he thought normal families treated each other like. Learning to take things slow was a major lesson for him, and he realized, one his wife probably thought she'd learned, yet never had.

"Hey," he leaned in the door as she had began disrobe and turn the water off. She turned too look at him, weariness taking over her eyes. His sparkled at the challenge of returning the shine that would bounce back at him.

"You want to give the kids a call, see how they're doing? I'll just be a few minutes."

"The kids are fine," he said with a slow ease.

She turned her head slowly to look at him, through the foggy haze and foamy bubbles that she'd just sank her body down into.

"I called while you went to the restroom that last time," he smiled. "And I think you'll be more than a few minutes."

"Tristan, I just want to relax and go to sleep. I've not forgotten how to live by a schedule, despite the fact that evidently some people never learned."

He slid his shirt the rest of the way off and loosened his belt. "Did it ever occur to you what it might be like to not be able to make a schedule, just for one day?"

"I'm really not in the mood for your mocking of my way of life," she closed her eyes, as if she could tune him out.

"You seem very set against letting go and just taking time to enjoy simple things," he continued in his even, soothing tone. "Like tonight, at the restaurant, did you even taste your food? Did you notice the smell of gardenias through the open windows? Feel the soft breeze as it caressed your skin, blowing your hair around the nape of your neck?"

Her mouth parted slightly, as somehow a shiver found its way down her ultra-heated spine. "I know how to relax," she managed.

"You know many things, my dear," he said, moving to step into the water, which caused her to sit up slightly, the bubbles just barely covering her breasts. "But there are still some things at which you have yet to excel."

She shimmied down into the water under the control of his hands as he wrapped them around her thighs and pulled her up into his lap. "I'm trying," her eyes closed as he took his warm hand, and the bubbles that clung to it, down her cheek and neck, before slowing drifting down her chest and disappearing again below the water line.

"Let me show you what it feels like to go slow," he nuzzled his nose into her moist neck, moving aside the wisps of hair that were adhered by the bathwater.

Her head fell forward as his hand continued along her body, slowing in excruciatingly pleasure-filled areas, but never stopping long enough provide instant gratification. The water caused her to slide over his lap—his legs providing no real stability as she brushed over his arousal. It was left to her, her hands grabbing hold of his shoulders to root herself in place, aching to find enough friction to take the edge off of the building feeling he was stirring up, using only his lips and the lightest of touch with his fingertips along her spine.

He smiled into her skin as he could feel her working up a slow rhythm against him in the water, knowing she was ready for more. He'd never been one to deny her, but when he lifted her at the waist to break the hypnotic dance she was beginning, she didn't protest. All he heard was her breath catching in her throat as he continued to lift her up out of the water. He'd turned off the air conditioning and opened all the windows to the room before joining her, so even though the air was muggy and warm, it was still much cooler than the bathwater he'd just emerged her out of. She clung to him, to his warmth, as he carried her dripping wet body out into the bedroom and laid her out on top of the bedspread.

"That first night you spent the night in my bed, next to me, did you know I had to get up and turn the heat off?"

Her eyes were trained on his at the husky sound of his voice. "Why?"

"It was unbearable, having you pressed into me, not being able to really touch you for fear of pushing things too fast. All night, my hands hovered over the places I wanted to touch you, caress you—but I knew once we got going it'd be more like spontaneous combustion. Just laying next to you was like being in a generator," he swallowed.

"I didn't know," she breathed, reaching up for his hand, but he took her hands in his and rested them up over her head.

"Yes, you did, you just didn't want to think about it," he smiled softly, remembering the good girl his wife had been in her younger years. "Think back to that time, do you remember the difference in the time we spent up north versus down here?"

She closed her eyes, seeing their first kiss, their first time, all her frustrated attempts at picturing him being in the room with her as his voice spoke over the phone. His voice so soothing, so exciting at the same time. Her hands were constantly one step ahead of him—used to a much quicker pace. But the time they spent in North Carolina back in those days were filled with longing looks, first, most excruciatingly long touches, learning each other's bodies.

"What do you remember?"

"I remember when you lit that candle," she smiled at the memory. "And you wouldn't let me touch you until it snuffed itself out—but you touched me. You undressed me," her eyes flickered just as that candle had years before. "You touched every last inch of me," she admitted. "For weeks afterward, not a moment went by that I couldn't feel you touching me. I nearly failed that philosophy course."

His stomach tightened with desire. "Tonight you get your payback," he promised, leaving her looking after him as he moved to the mantle over the fireplace. He took the lighter and lit the single candle, bringing it over to the bedside table to set it down. He lay next to his wife, upturned on his side to look at every last curve. "Take your time."

"Tristan, I can't," she moved up to face him, nearly looking embarrassed at the notion.

"Forget what you know," he urged. "Just play."

"Play?" she queried. "With you?"

He just smiled in the candlelight, and she made her first experimental grazes over his skin. "Anywhere I want?" she danced her fingers over his stomach, down around the sides of his body—where she knew he was most ticklish.

"As long as you make it last," he reminded her of the only rule.

And so she did—using her nails, her fingertips, her mouth, tongue, and teeth—she experimented once again with pressures, textures, movements, and speeds. He kept his word not to touch her, save for brushing against her unconsciously in sheer want. Hours later, when the candle began to wane and flicker out the last bursts of flame, he could practically feel their bodies humming at the same pitch.

He understood what had left her in such a state of distraction back then—he could feel his body anew, as if she'd taken him apart and reconstructed him. He could feel her tongue massaging the muscles of his stomach, her nails ungluing him as they raked over his legs, the unavoidable shiver that he gave as her body slid up his. He began to wonder if he could handle much more, in awe that she'd been able to have this level of restraint so many years ago, when the flame finally died out in a soft amber glow and faded to leave them in the near darkness of their room.

"Do you want to touch me?" she asked, her voice sounding almost foreign and unnecessary after all this time of another form of communication between them.

He didn't answer her; he simply reached out for her, pressing her fully against him. His hands ran up her sides, using too much pressure to cause her to giggle—he wanted her to know the gravity of the situation. She arched into him, with a languid agility that he'd never felt from her. He knew she wasn't teasing him any longer, it was just that she'd finally found the inner pace of aching. He groaned as she wrapped one leg around his torso, allowing him to flip her onto her back with ease. He played catch-up in true form, pressing his open lips into the whitest of her skin, places forgotten by quickness and left untouched for the sake of time. He swirled his tongue, moving down her body, leaving her nearly steaming body shaking underneath him.

And when he finally joined her, angling up and rocking slowly, she cried out with relief. Her chin pressed into his shoulder as he held her close to him, her ankles dug into his low back. He released her, her hair splaying out over the pillow like a halo, her eyes unfocused but truly seeing him as he did all the things she'd asked him to do in the past few hours. He leaned down to kiss her, ready to seek his own pleasure, swallowing her cries as she found hers.

He rested on top of her, her ragged breath falling across the tips of his hair, pressing his palms under her back. He hoped her mind wasn't racing with things like needing to let the water out of the bathtub or needing the sheets changed since they'd basically soaked them first with suds and now sex. He brushed his lips over the skin he was leaving uncovered to look up at her. Her eyelids were closed, her mouth partially open as her breath steadily returned to normal. She was asleep, completely without worry. He touched his lips to hers and lay back down, using her body as his place of rest for the night.

XXXX

Ambrose nearly hung between Jasper and Greyson as they kicked open the door to the girls' suite. Rosa came bursting out of her room to see what all the noise was about. She gasped when she saw Jake come stumbling back into the room after them, laughing and calling out to his friend to shake it off.

"Where did you take them?" she asked her brother.

"A party, relax," he ignored her concern.

"A party? Grey, they're too young to go to any party you'd frequent," she moved to push the boys off of Ambrose and check his pulse. "Is he breathing?"

"He had a lot of beer," Jasper said. "He just needs a good rest. It's a depressant, you know."

"I know, that's why I was checking his vitals," Rosa rolled her eyes. "What about you?" she turned to the suddenly smiley Jake.

"Oh, I'm good. I had beer and danced with Heather," he smiled.

"And Linda," Grey reminded.

"Oooh, Linda," Jake smiled. "I love college girls."

"How wonderful to hear," Rosa shook her head. "I'm sure your sister would be kicking herself to miss such a proclamation. You two can leave," she instructed.

"We deliver the boys safe and sound, and we don't even get a reward?" Grey looked upset.

"I should make you be on vomit patrol with him," she pointed to Ambrose, who moaned and curled up in a ball, "But I think his parents would like him returned alive."

"He didn't have that much, like eight beers."

"He likes beer," Jake announced.

"Okay, tell you what, you get Mr. Chatty to bed in Ella's room—stay out of her underwear drawer," she frowned at Jasper, whom she could tell was plenty imbibed enough to start getting frisky in the room of a girl he was dating—or any other girl, for that matter. "I'll get him feeling better," she hooked Ambrose's arm around her shoulders and heaved him up—eliciting a groan from each of them.

"Wanna sleep," he moaned in baritone.

"I know," she soothed. "Ooh, hey, can you just support a little of your own weight?" she coaxed, and he used her shoulders to pull himself upright.

"Sorry," he looked down to her.

"It's okay, just talk to me, okay?"

"'Kay. 'Bout what?"

"What did you guys do tonight?"

"Party. Beer. Girls," he frowned. "Too much beer."

"Is that all you had, beer?"

He shook his head. "I had a Jack and Coke first," he said as she dragged him in the bathroom, trying her best to kneel him in front of the toilet. "I don't have to go," he said.

"No, but you'll need to hurl in about five seconds, from what you just told me," she patted his back soothingly. "You think we have time to get your shirt off?" she asked.

He nodded and held his hands over his head so she could slip his t-shirt up over his head and off his body. She tossed it into the main room as he lurched forward and vomited into the toilet. She got a cool washcloth ready and wiped his face off after he sat up again. His eyes took their time in focusing on her face and she smiled as she saw his drunkenness turn to introspection quickly.

"You're beautiful."

She did her best not to smile. "Thank you," she nodded. "You feeling like moving or should we just wait for a minute?"

"You had a date tonight, didn't you?" he asked, sounding quite dejected.

"You're probably good for now, but we'll get a trashcan next to your couch," she said, trying to duck her head under his arm to brace him.

"You have dates 'cause you're pretty."

"Come on, try to stand."

"I just want you to give me a shot," he said, completely ignoring her.

"If I promise to let you take me out for breakfast, assuming you can even stand to be in a room with anything edible in the morning, will you help me and try to stand up?"

He nodded, braced his other hand on the toilet rim and pushed his body up next to hers. They made their way slowly to the couch, and she dragged a trashcan, the bottle of aspirin, and a big bottle of water near him. She covered him up with a blanket and checked to see if he was passed out or still awake. His eyes were half closed, and his breathing was growing deep. She felt his forehead, then his pulse on his neck before shaking her head and watching him for a moment.

XXXX

"You like that girl?" Jake asked loudly, as Jasper opened Ella's drawers in search of the jackpot. Grey was reclining on her bed, considering the stuffed animal she had by her pillow.

"What girl?" Jasper asked as he held up a lacy black bra.

"The blonde," Jake said as he winced at the sight of what Jasper had found.

"Does she actually wear this, like, under regular clothes? The very thought drives me mad," he inspected the clasp.

"I told her you'd do shit like that," he half slurred.

"Your sister doesn't care," he said, rifling now through until he found a thong. "Oh, sweet Jesus," he whimpered.

"She always played this crap in high school, but you know what she's never had? Guys that give her back what she puts out."

"She puts out?" Grey asked, evidently only hearing bits of the conversation.

"The blonde was inconsequential," Jasper said, putting the delicates back in their drawer. "Not because I owe anything to Ella, but because that is how life works. You do not choose whom you fall in love with," he let on. "But a man doesn't have to be in love when he is in the need of company."

"I love it when you get philosophical," Grey smirked, tossing the plush toy back on the made bed.

"You're in love with Ella?" Jake asked, nearly awed by the thought.

"Be sure to drink about a liter of water before you fall asleep," Jasper said with earned authority.

And with that, they left the room, out to see Rosa as she sat on the coffee table, watching Ambrose sleep. She cast them a look of disapproval, to which her brother shrugged his shoulders.

"You girls told us to make sure they had a good time. Mission accomplished."

"Just be glad Ella isn't coming home any time soon," she warned.

"How do you know?" Jas asked, trying to sound as if he didn't care.

Rosa looked up at him. "Oh, well, she called a while ago, something about the jet not being cleared to take off. She'll be back in the morning."

Jasper nodded silently and walked out the door behind Greyson.

XXXX

"We can get a hotel room," Pax reminded her. "There are lots of nice ones, right near here," he said for the fifth time.

"Really? Cause I didn't hear you the first twenty times," Ella teased, looking at him blankly in efforts to play dumb.

He tossed sand up at her with his hand, causing her to roll away from him on her side, giggling. He rolled up, pressing his body into her back, reaching for her arm to turn her back to face him. She let out a defiant squeal and wriggled, doing her best to get out of his grip—succeeding only in tangling their limbs up even more. She gave a slight shiver as they fell silent and still, his body leaning over hers.

"Cold?"

"No," she shook her head, her eyes traveling down to his lips. "Pax," she seemed to breathe him in.

"Please don't tell me not to kiss you," he pleaded.

She just smiled and craned her neck upward to catch his lips against hers. He cradled her face in his hands, his palms soft against her jaw as she opened her mouth, insisting he do the same. He kept his weight up off of her, trying to keep the interaction on the hesitant side of passion. His ability to hold back lessened as he felt her heartbeat against his when he moved to shift his weight to one side. Soon she was cradled in his arms, the sand the perfect gritty contrast to her smooth skin. His curiosity unquenched, he kissed his way down to her neck, as she edged her fingers under the hem of his shirt.

"I told you sleeping on the beach would be fun," she whispered into his ear, her breath tickling the shell.

"I'll never doubt your word again," he breathed, thanking his good fortune for fog and her sense of adventure.


	39. Chapter 39

Title: Peer Pressure

Summary: Fourth installment in the WHW series. A Trory, of course. And, you know a billion other pairings.

Rating: M

Rosa opened her door when a light knocking came to it, surprised despite her expectation coming true. She had to give it to him; he was persistent. And cute in an unshaved, blood-shot eyes, punk rock t-shirt wearing way.

"Morning," she smiled. "How's your head?"

"Good enough to remember your agreeing to go out with me," he opened her door wider. "Ready?"

She just nodded and moved past him out of the room and into the empty main room. She looked toward Ella's shut door. "She come home yet?"

"I didn't hear her if she did," he shrugged.

"Yeah, I'm surprised you're among the living," she said. "I had to hold a mirror under your nose for a while there last night."

He stopped as they approached the front door. "You took care of me all night?"

She blushed slightly as she ducked under his arm. "It was nothing," she promised. "I figured we'd just hit the dining hall, is that okay?"

He just smiled and shut the door behind them as she moved down the hall, feeling much more encouraged than he'd expected to be.

XXXX

Rory woke up to the sound of birds chirping and sunshine warming her bare skin. The aromas of lavender, gardenias, and sex intermingled, seemingly coming from the sheets or her skin—perhaps both. She peeled her cheek up off the bicep that had been her pillow during the course of the night—or rather the morning. She hadn't had that late a night since cramming for finals in college. But never had stuffing information into her head been as enjoyable, as pleasurable as what she'd experienced last night.

"No," came the thick voice of her still wishing to be asleep husband. His other arm curled around her waist, holding her in place easily.

"I have to get up," she stretched out her muscles, not surprised to feel soreness taking hold of them.

"Did you learn nothing last night? Not that I'd mind giving you another lesson," he woke up a bit more, craning his neck up to look at his radiant wife. The trials of the night before seemed to have done wonders for her.

"I just wanted to use the bathroom," she promised.

"You'll come right back?" he probed.

"Well, I should take a shower, we do have a few houses to see," she smiled. "But you could join me," she offered. "We could take our time getting the realtor's."

He smiled and stretched as well, letting go of her waist. "I like that you're always on top of everything, it was especially great when the kids were little," he confessed. "But if we're really going to do this," he started.

Her hand moved up to quiet him, her fingers pressing into his mouth. "I know. I can get high strung, and it's hard to think that we won't be in New York, near my family," she swallowed. "But you've never disappointed me in the past."

He smiled, sat up, and pulled her against him for a kiss of appreciation. "Go start the shower," he nodded toward the bathroom, giving in to her wishes.

XXXX

Davey was on his third refill of coffee, papers taking up the whole of the table he was occupying at Luke's Diner. Luke would look over his shoulder disapprovingly as he refilled the cup, mumble about missing paying customers who actually order food, then walk away. Of course, that was preferable to his mother and godmother, who sat at the counter and tossed suggestions at him—at the same time arguing over the correct 'answers' to their own questions. Currently they were arguing over how old Will had been when he broke his arm after having climbed a tree to free Anna's cat.

"Do you guys remember our childhood at all?" he asked, tapping his pen against the table.

"We'd remember more if it hadn't been for all the hooch," Lorelai put a hand over her mouth, acting very ashamed of herself.

"No, he was seven, because we got her the cat after her teacher failed her in art for coloring outside the lines. That was in kindergarten," Sookie remembered.

"Right, that spurred the town-wide protest—Mothers Against Unimaginative Instruction; Kirk kept asking us how giving all those kids finger paint and mural paper would get us to Maui," she giggled.

"Is that why we did that?" Dave asked.

More giggling from the women. "You don't remember that?"

"All I remember is Will and I used Anna's hair as a paintbrush to color all over Billy," he frowned. "She had that long hair down to her butt, and she had it in pigtails," he shrugged as the women had looks of disgust.

"I thought she just got so into the painting that she didn't realize she'd dipped them in! That took me weeks to get out of her hair, we ended up cutting it after that, to get all the crazy colors out, remember?"

"She looked cute with that bob cut," Lorelai nodded.

Dave snorted. "Will hated it. Said she looked like a boy."

Sookie rolled her eyes. "She didn't look like a boy," she began. "She was adorable."

"I think I know them a bit better than you do, or else they would have asked you to make up the questions," he imparted.

"What are these very secretive questions?" Lorelai asked, sitting up as if it would improve her eyesight and help her see his writing.

"Let's just say it starts out simple and gets more complex," he nodded as Mal came in through the door, slumping down into a seat next to him. He leaned to give her a kiss and she took his coffee cup to take a long sip. "Long day?"

"Mmmm," she murmured. "How did Will fake out the tooth fairy to coax out twice the amount of money?" she read aloud.

"What?" Lorelai yelped.

"I told you no kid looses that many teeth," Luke shook his head as he brought Mal her own cup and filled it up with fresh coffee.

"How'd he do it?" Sookie asked.

"No way, if I tell you, you could tip Anna off, making this an unfair exhibition of their knowledge," he shook his head. "This has to be a true test of what they know."

"This is stupid, testing their memories is no way of seeing how well they know each other," Luke gruffed.

"Says the man who remembers everything," Lorelai commented.

"They asked me to do it, and I am willing to do my part," Dave held up his hands in response.

"I don't get the whole point of it," Mal shrugged her shoulders. "They know each other better than any couple I've ever met."

Luke peered over Davey's shoulder in the guise of preparing to pour more coffee. "These are all major events," he announced.

Dave held the papers up to his chest defensively. "So?"

"So, it's easy to remember big things about anyone. It's the small things that make a difference in a relationship."

"Like what?" Sookie asked, as Dave put down his papers to consider his questions.

"Like remembering that Lorelai was wearing my old Star Trek t-shirt the night I proposed to her—she told me that she wore it to connect with my inner child, but I knew it was because it was roomier than the shirt she normally kept to sleep over at my house in. She was starting to show, but hadn't admitted to anyone."

Lorelai's eyes lit up at the beginning of Luke's ranting, and as he caught sight of her, he continued. "It's remembering that every Wednesday when Rory was little, she was supposed to have a phone call from her father, but just in case he missed a call or he was too busy to talk long, I'd make the chocolate chip pancakes with whipped cream for both of them, because Lorelai took it even harder than Rory did. Those little things, those things matter."

Dave looked up. "I don't know little things about them, not like that," he frowned.

Luke smirked. "That's the point. You wouldn't. They would."

"But I'm supposed to come up with a test," he groaned.

"Keep it simple. Things that show they pay attention."

Dave nodded at Luke's advice, tapped his pen against the paper once more, and seemed to be deep in thought. The women shared looks as Luke moved to refill more customers' coffee cups. "Like what?" he asked suddenly.

"I don't know, things like ask your sister how Will likes his hamburger cooked," he rolled the first thing that came to his mind.

"Too easy," Dave shook his head.

"The little things," Luke said, then walked away to let Davey mull some more, as the women picked up conversations about the goings on at the inn, and chatting with Mallory about her classes.

XXXX

Jules came out of her room in her pajamas and bare feet, still yawning as she rifled around in cabinet for her cereal. She managed to get the milk poured over the dry cereal, grabbed a spoon, and shuffled out into the living room to grope around in the couch for the remote control. She set it on Cartoon Network and began shoveling food into her mouth.

Gwen came out of the bathroom and made her way to lie down on the couch. She'd tried lying in bed, but for whatever reason she'd had no luck in falling back to sleep—used to sleeping on her stomach perhaps, but at any rate the couch was sounding like the perfect place to catch up on much needed rest. Immediately she felt queasy upon walking into the room—the smell of artificially sweetened grains filling her nostrils. She wanted to make for the bathroom to be safe, but Jules gave her a quizzical look. She still didn't know.

"Morning," she managed as Jules patted the cushion next to hers.

"Morning," she said through a half-chewed cereal-filled mouth. "Where's Dad?" she swallowed.

"He uh, he had some crisis with a manuscript, he'll be a few hours," she explained. Jules knew the drill—she desperately wanted to make an escape as the smell of her berry-flavored cereal that was strengthened by the milk bringing it to full bloom. She held in a groan as she turned her attention to the screen. She smiled at the fact that the girl still watched cartoons on a weekend morning.

Jules took a break from eating to let her head fall back against the back of the couch, slightly swiveled toward Gwen. "He tell you about Mom and Grandpa?"

Gwen looked rather startled. "Oh, yeah," she said.

Jules sighed. "It's gonna be weird," she stated. Gwen wanted to laugh; she just had no idea.

"Probably. You want to talk about it?"

Jules shrugged and moved her cereal around with her spoon—an act that evidently released more of its scent out into the open. Gwen shifted and waited for the girl to speak.

"It's just… why now? Dad's finally happy, and she's just coming out here to make him feel bad," she began.

"Do you know that for sure?" Gwen soothed, hating to take a side in this situation.

Jules sat up to put her half empty bowl on the coffee table right in front of Gwen. "You want some?"

"No, thanks," she shook her head emphatically.

"She chose to leave. Dad didn't tell her to go, we didn't make her go—she didn't want to be here anymore. She doesn't have a right to be here now," she bit her lower lip.

"She's still your mom, and maybe after some time has passed she's realized what she gave up. Isn't she right to realize she screwed up by not seeing you guys?"

Jules mouth was set, but her eyes seemed to understand her words. "Still."

"I'm not saying you should or shouldn't forgive her; I'm just saying don't make up your mind before she gets here," she offered.

Jules nodded. "Why do adults hold back information from kids?"

Gwen looked up, probably too alarmingly for her own good. "What do you mean?"

"Mom and Dad, when they were having problems, they didn't tell us about it; I mean, we knew they were fighting. But when it came down to them separating, it just happened all of a sudden—there was no warning. Do adults really think it's better to spring stuff on kids?"

"Oh, Jules," she put her arms around her, as the teen wrapped her arms around her tightly. "That's not it—it's just hard to know sometimes, when you have life-changing news to tell people, especially people that you love, it's not always the easiest thing to do—to watch them react to the news you have to tell them."

"Even when it's good?"

"Even when it's good," Gwen nodded.

"At least Grandpa's coming, you'll love him. He makes Dad crazy," Jules smiled broadly.

"Really?"

"Yeah," she nodded. "You gonna be here a while?" she asked.

"You want me to stay 'til your dad gets back?" she offered, the hopes of escaping to her own home and couch fleeting.

"We could watch a movie," Jules offered, "Or just talk."

Gwen smiled easily. "I'd like that."

XXXX

"I wanted to take you somewhere, out in public, pay for you," Ambrose described his notions of a date.

"There is no where more public in New Haven than a dorm cafeteria on a Sunday morning," she said. "And it makes no sense for you to pay when I have so many extra meals this week," she pointed out.

"Does this mean I get another chance in the future in which to take you off campus and pay?"

"Let's just see how well this venture goes, shall we?" she smiled as she handed over her student ID to the card swiper and indicated she needed two swipes taken off her plan. "So, where do you want to go to college?"

"Well, I was thinking NYU, but Yale is definitely in the running," he said. "You know, to piss my dad off."

"Yale would piss your dad off? Is he a Harvard man?" she asked knowingly.

"Hell no. He hates the Ivy League, and everyone that goes to them—well, he does have a soft spot for Yale," he consented.

"Because of Ella?"

"She's his goddaughter."

"Wait, Jess is your dad?" she asked, her eyes going wide in understanding.

"You know my dad?"

She shrugged. "He came by to see Ella and her mom. He was hot, you know, for an older guy."

"Oh, geez," he squinted his eyes, turning away from her. "That's sick," he informed her.

"What?" she giggled. "I can definitely see the resemblance," she offered.

"That almost made up for what you said."

She ignored him as she put a bowl of fruit on her plate. "Facts are facts."

"Tell me more facts, ones that won't send me into intensive therapy," he added.

"You're no fun. Fine. I'm majoring in architecture," she stated.

"Not interior design?" he raised an eyebrow.

"Please, it's impossible to make the exterior attractive if you don't start out with a smartly designed structure."

"Touché," he put a stack of pancakes on his plate.

"Your turn," she said as she put a side of bacon on her plate.

"I got a 1530 on my SATs," he said.

"Wow, genius in the room," she did a small curtsey to him. "Why does that sound like you're telling me a secret?"

"I sort of… lied about my test scores to my family and friends."

"Lied? Went for a perfect 1600?"

"More like rounded down," he gritted his teeth.

"1500?"

"1050," he admitted.

"But, why?"

"I don't like school," he shrugged. "If people knew I tested so well, they'd expect me to do the whole academic team, apply to a big college thing. And that's not me."

"I can't imagine your dad, that hates Ivy League schools, would ever make you do anything like that," she led.

"My grades don't warrant a 1530. They warrant a 1050," he said, with a finality that made her feel the need to move on to the next topic.

"I buy myself a birthday present every year," she admitted.

"You what?" he laughed.

"Nothing big, in fact, I usually go to the dollar store," she bit her lip. "Go ahead, laugh," she rolled her eyes.

"No, it's kind of cute," he assured her. "At least I know you're easy to shop for," he couldn't help but grin.

"I can't believe I told you that," she sighed deeply as they stood before an empty table.

"After you," he nodded to the table, tray in his hands. They parked their trays across from one another and sat down, continuing their chat as they dug into their food. Ambrose had chosen foods to sop up the remaining alcohol in his system. She smiled as he bravely marched on in the face of adversity, wondering when the last time a guy paid so much adoring attention to her.

As they were finishing up their food, he sat back and looked around. "So, you like it here?"

"I do. You'd probably make a pretty good fit. And with those test scores," she led.

He shrugged. "You'll still be here when I get here," he reminded.

"I can do the math," she promised.

"But you aren't going to give me your number, are you?"

"Ambrose," she sighed. "You are great," she began.

"Okay, I have to stop you. I can't take the sappy, sweet, _Say Anything_ let down. Anything but that. You don't like me, tell me. But that is the only reason I see for you not wanting to see me after today."

She sighed. "You're stubborn."

"So're you," he frowned. "You've got your mind set on what can and can't happen, not allowing for the fact that you enjoy hanging out with me."

"Well, you do have sort of a bad-ass, sarcastic thing going," she narrowed her eyes. "And God help me, I do enjoy that," she smiled.

"Back at 'ya," he smirked.

"Look. I'm not going to give you my number. But if that is what stops you from contacting me again, let's just say I'd lose all respect I've built up for you thus far."

"A challenge, I love it."

"And you can't ask Ella," she pointed her finger.

"If you hadn't noticed, Ella has never been one to help me out," he let on. "She's like my older sister."

"Watch it, you're talking to an older sister."

"I thought you were a twin."

"I'm older," she sat up straighter, her hair falling down her back in a small ripple at the movement, "by seventeen minutes."

"Right," he nodded. "I should get back, get Jake—we gotta hit the road."

She nodded. "Can I walk you back?"

"That depends," he stood up slowly. "You gonna take the long route?"

She just smiled and stood up, leading him out of the dining hall.

XXXX

"Where've you been?" Jake demanded when his sister, wearing yesterday's clothes but in a much more rumpled fashion, came in through her front door.

"Maine," she answered succinctly as she bee-lined for her door.

"Hold it," he blocked her path.

"Jake, seriously, out of my way," she warned.

"You were gone all night."

"Mom and Dad aren't here—this is college. For all I know, you were out all night too."

"I wasn't—just most of it. The guys brought us back around two or three," he said.

"The guys?"

"Grey and Jasper," he nodded.

"You went out with Jasper?"

"More like Grey—Jasper was there with some chick."

"This chick," she frowned. "She was blonde?"

"Like a bombshell," he tested her. "You know her?"

"Um, no, not really. He seems to like her, though," she said casually.

"Why were you gone all night?"

"Our plane was fogged in 'til morning," she said.

"You were having sex," he guessed.

"What I do on my dates is none of your business."

"I've talked to these guys, Els, they like you, do you realize this?"

Her eyes flashed up at him. "Of course I realize this, I'm dating them!"

"No, I don't mean they like hanging out with you, I mean, they want to be with you."

"Look, Jake, I realize that you've always been more sensitive about these things, but I can handle this."

"This is handling it?" he asked. "Tell me this, which one do you like more?"

"What?"

"Pick one, if you had to pick one, right now, who would it be?"

"Neither," she crossed her arms. "I'm not dating either one seriously."

"Yeah, but both of them want to."

"Did they tell you that?"

"They didn't have to."

"Guys don't care if a girl plays the field, it makes them less guilty when they do it," she rolled her eyes.

"Only if they don't have a real interest in the girl, past a fling."

"Well, that's what I am for them both, a fling. I'm the fling girl, and they both know what they got into. So, just, stop acting like Mom," she said.

He said nothing as she moved for her door handle. He watched her for a moment, then to her back, he found his words. "That's not all you are, Els."

She turned, bit her lip, and nodded. "Thanks, Jacob."

XXXX

"I like it."

Tristan looked at his wife with scrutiny. "Like it?"

"Love it," she promised.

"You love it?"

"It's perfect," she nodded.

"Well, no house is perfect," the realtor supplied.

"No, it's perfect. It's close to your work, it's near the best school in the area, it's the perfect size, it's homey," she went on.

"You sound like you're checking things off a list," the realtor giggled.

Tristan and Rory gave her deadpan looks, which made her stop laughing. "Sorry. Go on."

"The neighborhood is safe, far out, but not too far out," Rory moved to put her hands on her husband's chest. "It's perfect. This is our house."

"Well, not yet, we still have to put in a bid," he looked to the realtor, who snapped open her phone.

"I'm on it," she said as she was speed dialing.

"You realize what you're saying?"

"I do," Rory nodded and grinned.

"This isn't some post-coital afterglow reaction, one you're going to emerge out of fully aware that you've made a huge mistake?"

"Honey, you're good," she began, kissed his nose, and continued, "but not that good."

"You'll find a job," he promised.

"I know," she nodded.

"And I will only be really busy for the first month or so, you know, setting up the rules of my command."

"I'm good with that," she agreed.

"I want to believe you," he hedged.

"Then believe it, baby," she smiled slow and wide. He picked her up into his arms and swung her around.

"We're moving," he said with assurance.

"We're moving," she repeated as he finally put her back down on the ground.

XXXX

"We're moving," Rory said into the phone, in disbelief.

"You found a house already?" Ella asked.

"We're moving. We have to pack, sell the house, we're moving," she said.

"Are you okay?"

"Can you come home, after Parent's Weekend, and get some of your stuff packed up?"

"Sure. You're sure you'll have time to come? Because we can blow it off," she began.

"No! I really want to come, I love being back on campus," she assured her.

"Okay. So, Jake and Ambrose are on their way back to New York," she said.

"You guys have a good visit?"

"Yeah, I'm pretty sure he had a good time."

"You set him up on a tour?"

"No," she rolled her eyes.

"Why not?"

"He's been on like, four hundred. The first time I think he was in a stroller and Daddy carried me on his shoulders."

"That was your second tour," Rory consented.

"You guys were obsessed. We know all about Yale. No one on earth knows more than we do."

"Is it so wrong I wanted you to have the very best education?"

"No. And I'm glad to be here. But Jake might not want to go."

"Did he say something?"

"No. But Ambrose was keen on getting an application," she giggled.

"Ambrose? Really? Jess'll die," Rory giggled.

"I know. He's got the hots for my roommate."

"Rosa? At least he has taste."

"She's so not having it—she likes the twenty-one club."

"What you like and what you need are two different things," Rory mused.

"Mom?" she asked.

"Yeah?"

"Do you think it's possible to be in love with more than one person?"

"Ever or at a time?"

"At a time," she hedged.

"I think that there are different kinds of love, and that they are easily mistaken for each other."

"So, you think that you can be romantically in love with more than one person at a time?"

"No. I think you can be in lust with more than one person at a time," Rory said. "This about those pretty boys that hang out in your room all the time?"

"I'm so transparent," she drawled.

"You're my kid," she sighed.

"You liked two guys at once before?"

"Oh, honey, what a story I have to tell you," she said and began the tale of the demise of her first serious relationship, and the night of the marathon dance that culminated in her mother's greatest defeat—and the last year Kirk won the giant trophy.


	40. Chapter 40

Gwen stood up when Jess entered the apartment, looking tired and ticked off. He immediately began ranting about the state of writing in America and how all writers should be forced to swap work with other writers and notice the similarites in crap that they're spewing forth. 

"We have to talk," she said, cutting him off mid-way through his ramble.

"I am talking, about how I'm never going to get my own book published because I'm helping talentless hacks get theirs through the mill," he grumbled.

"That's not true, you'll get published if I have to do it myself," she said.

He raised an eyebrow. "You're not in publishing. You're in marketing," he reminded.

"All an author needs is a good marketing campaign, and I'm sure if we put our heads together, we could do it. Now stop whining and listen!"

He straightened his back and looked at her. "What happened?"

"We have to tell the kids. Like, now."

"Is Ambrose back?"

"He and Jake are in Am's room. But I was talking to Jules, and she's already upset about her mom coming, and she feels like you guys keep things from her."

"So you want me to drop this on her hours before her mom comes, so that she can revel in all the earth-shattering news?"

"She just needs to feel included."

"She's a teenager, no matter how included we make her feel, she's gonna flip out about this."

Gwen frowned. "You really think the kids will hate this?" her hand went unconsciously to her stomach. His hand covered hers.

"I think at first, the idea will be weird. They're expecting you to move in, they aren't expecting you to give them a baby brother or sister."

Gwen nodded. "I know, but either way, we have to tell them before Erin comes. I mean, I don't know when you want to tell her all of this, but the people that are going to be living here, affected by this, they have to know first."

"Our family," he corrected. "You're right. I'll go round them up."

She nodded and sat down on the couch, willing herself not to bite at her fingernails--a habit she'd kicked from her youth.

XXXX

Rory and Tristan entered the apartment, seeing Gwen staring at the kids, who were all arguing over which kind of pizza to order. She looked rather nervous, and Jess didn't look so calm himself. Jess grabbed Rory by the sleeve and dragged her back toward the bedrooms.

"I have to talk to you," he gruffed.

"Excuse me," Tristan called after them, before standing next to Gwen and smiling uncomfortably. "My wife just got dragged back to your boyfriend's bedroom. Should I be concerned?" he teased.

"Oh, he's just, um," she frowned. "Hey, get something with pineapple," she turned to the kids.

"We're getting pepperoni," Ambrose said.

"Put pineapple on half of one," she suggested.

"Instead of pepperoni?" he asked.

"With."

"Ew," he winced.

"You eat Hawaiian pizza," she pointed out.

"That's ham," he said.

"It's all meat," she sighed.

"You want Hawaiian?" he asked.

"No. Pepperoni and pineapple."

"What're you, pregnant?" Tristan asked jokingly, after she turned around and the kids began renegotiating the pizza toppings with Gwen's new request.

"What?" she asked, looking nervous again instantly and wishing Jess would come back from down the hall.

XXXX

"What?" Rory asked, glaring at Jess. "Have you lost your mind?"

"I need to ask your advice," he said, albeit begrudgingly.

"Then trying asking nicely," she half-teased, half-glared. "What's your damage?"

"Gwen is moving in with me, which she agreed to about a day or so after we found out she's pregnant--we haven't told the kids yet, but Erin and Jimmy are on their way here tomorrow," he let out, seemingly in one breath, one word, one weight that he was trying to lift off his shoulders.

"Tell me this is one of your jokes, that only you think is funny," she closed her eyes as she managed to stand in front of him.

"Like what?"

"Like when you would come over and tell me that your car broke down, Luke took all your week's earnings to pay for some window you broke, and that you'd failed to show up at some test that decided your final grade," she smirked, "and then when I was feeling good and sorry for you, you'd ask me for a favor."

"I'm not making any of this up," he promised. "It's all happening. Actually, that's not all."

"That's not all?"

"We're getting married."

"Since when?"

"Since, last night," he shrugged.

"Oh my God," she sat down on the bed.

"I know," he mirrored her actions.

"This is what it's going to be like, isn't it?"

He frowned, scratched his jaw mindlessly, and turned to her. "What?"

"When we move to North Carolina. Life is just going to go speeding past, while I'm waiting for my waiter to bring me more sweet tea!"

"What are you talking about?"

"Have you ever had sweet tea? It's disgusting!"

"So, you're not going to help me?"

"Sorry, sorry, right, your problems are more important," she shook her head and hand apologetically. "Which exactly are the biggest of your problems?" she asked carefully.

"How the kids are going to react," he began.

"To the moving in, the pregnancy, or the marriage?" she asked quietly.

"Yeah," he answered, his hand going to the back of his neck in discomfort.

"Jess, I take it this wasn't planned?"

He looked at her. "Not in the way you plan things, no," he shook his head.

"What do you mean by that?"

"We didn't try to get pregnant, or stay up late making pro/con lists about if we were ready for all this," he nodded, "but when she told me," he sighed happily.

Rory smiled as she saw his eyes light up. "You're excited."

"Yeah. So's she. I think this is going to be really great."

"Those kids love you," she promised. "If you're happy, they're gonna be fine with it. Maybe not through the roof excited right away," she conceded, "but they'll come around."

"You sure? What about the whole Erin thing?"

"You're gonna have to tell her, no point in putting off the inevitable, right?"

"It's easier said than done," he sighed.

"I can come by, be your bodyguard. I've been giving this a lot of thought, and I really think I can take her," she nodded seriously.

"What?" he couldn't help but smile in amusement.

"No, I mean, she's taller than me, but I'm scrappy," she made two fists and held them up in front of her, giving the air between them quick jabs. "No one messes with my Jess," she said in her most intimidating voice. "Besides, I have to stand in for Gwen, until she's less fragile."

"I'm sure she'd appreciate that. I know I do, and I wish I could take you up on it."

"Yeah, well," she fiddled with the bedspread that was wrinkled under her fingers. "How's she doing?"

"Some nausea," he began. "Some weird hunger stuff," he smirked.

"Ah, the true joys of pregnancy," she smiled. "I'm really happy you get a chance to start over like this," she said sincerely. "After all that happened."

"After all that happened, I can't consider this starting over. I just hope that the kids stick around here."

"Just be honest with them--they're your kids, they know you."

"Jules is already asking too many questions."

"What about Am?"

"He met a girl," Jess raised his eyebrows.

"Just one?" Rory teased, knowing that Ambrose wasn't known around his high school for being a one-girl kind of guy. "And he told you about it?"

"Not so much," he leaned his head to the side.

"How do you know?"

"He's me," he breathed out.

"Meaning?"

"Meaning he's spending way too much time in front of a mirror, and I've only seen him the fifteen minutes today since he got back," he smirked.

"Mariano men should be banned from hair gel, just for one day," she teased.

"Bite your tongue, evil woman," he narrowed his eyes at her.

"Come on, I'm gonna get my family out of your way so you can share your good news," she pulled him to his feet and toward the door.

"Do I have to?" he groaned as they attemtped to appear normal on their short walk back to join the rest of the house.

XXXX

"Wait, if she was really into you, why wouldn't she give you her number?" Jules asked her brother as they waited on hold with the neighborhood pizza place.

"Girls like to be a challenge," he rolled his eyes.

"Not this girl," she jabbed back, pointing at herself.

"She was letting you down easy, dude," Jake reminded for the fifth time since they left the campus.

"She didn't let me down," Ambrose shook his head. "Trust me, I don't feel let down."

"Then she's just really skilled. If she's as gorgeous as your homones have percieved her to be," Jules teased some more.

"Bite me," he quipped back.

"I'm just saying she probably gets hit on a lot, by lots of different guys. Not all her type," she said a bit louder, "so she has found a nice way to avert the ones she doesn't care for."

"Beats giving 'em a black eye," Jake said, surprisingly in an upbeat, teasing tone. Jules smiled at him.

"Well, I don't have boys beating down my door yet, I'm not in practice like this girl clearly is," she joked back.

Ambrose looked between them. "Finally," he muttered before the pizza guy came back on the line and began to take his order.

"Guys?" Jess said as he and Rory came back into the living room; her making a beeline for her uncomfortable-looking husband and a freaked-out looking Gwen. She was glad to be in the know and couldn't wait to get Tristan alone to fill in the gaps of the strange vibe that filled the Mariano home.

"Come on, Jake, we gotta start packing," Rory announced.

"No pizza?" he asked from the confines of the small group of teens.

"We can order on our way home," Rory promised. "We should take advantage of thirty minutes or less while we can," she said a bit suggestively, causing Tristan to pull her in by the waist and squeeze her. "Good luck," she whispered in Jess' ear as they bid them goodbye, off to start their last official week in their home.

"Can you guys come in here?" Jess asked his kids as they lingered in the kitchen area.

"If it means he'll stop talking about Rosa," Jules smirked.

"Shut up," Am muttered as he followed his sister into the front room, where his father was beckoning for them to have a seat. "We gonna do movies?"

"Later," Jess nodded. "There are a few things we'd like to talk to you guys about first."

Ambrose and Juliet shared a look at their father's tone. It was ominous, but not pissed off. If anything, he sounded humble. They sat down next to each other, and Jess's gaze went to Gwen. They shared a moment, silently asking if going forward was really the plan--it was now or never. No going back. Jess cleared his throat and looked to his kids.

"I know your mom is coming tomorrow," he explained. "Things might get messy and hard, I know things haven't been good between you guys and her since she took off."

"She left us, what does she expect?" Jules asked.

"Just promise that if you have any problems with her being here, you tell her or me," Jess asked.

They both nodded obediently. "Is that it?" Jules asked.

"Not exactly," Jess breathed, looking again to Gwen. "Gwen's going to be moving in here."

"After Mom leaves?" Am asked.

"Actually, my sister is coming to help me get most of my stuff on Tuesday, my lease is up at the end of the month, and with everything else, we thought it didn't make sense to wait," Gwen supplied.

"Mom's going to blow a gasket," Am said. "Is this, like, your revenge?" he asked, sounding partially proud.

"No," Jess promised. "We're just ready for this step. Are you guys okay with it?"

"What else is going on?" Jules asked.

"What?"

"Gwen just said with everything else that's going on," she supplied.

"Right, that," Jess swallowed. "We're sort of, pregnant."

No one spoke for a full minute--he began to wonder if he'd in fact said it out loud. Gwen was watching the kids the same as he was. It was Ambrose that spoke first.

"You're kidding?"

"No," Jess assured him.

"So all those talks you give me about birth control not being a hundred percent, that wasn't just to scare the hell out of me?"

Jess groaned inwardly, giving his son a look of warning. "Jules?"

"You planned this?"

"Of course they didn't plan it," Ambrose answered.

"But you've known," she said, her voice unwaivering.

"Not long," he promised.

"But before today," she said, a bit louder.

"Yes," Gwen answered. "We weren't sure how to tell you guys, we realize it's a bit of a shock, and it affects you guys as much as us."

"God, this is weird, Dad, you're gonna be the oldest father in this kid's class," Am said.

"Thank you, I realize that," Jess shook his head. "But that's not the point."

"What is the point?" Jules asked irritably.

"Hey," Jess warned. "The point is we wanted you to know before Erin got here. You guys having all the facts is important to us."

"So, the facts are what? You're getting married?" Jules implied.

Jess swallowed. "Yeah. We are."

"I thought you promised to talk to us before you did any of this!" Jules bursted out.

"Ideally, I would have, but that's not how things happen sometimes," Jess reasoned.

"You say that all the time! You talk to us like we're too young to possibly understand that you're just screwing up all the time, and acting like your actions don't affect us! They do, Dad! Everytime you screw up, it hurts us! Don't you see that?"

"Jules," Am said, standing up after his sister. She'd began to move past Jess, who reached out for her, but both men were unable to catch her. She was out the door before anyone could do anything.

"Should I go after her?" Gwen asked.

"No. Jules needs cool off time," Jess wiped his hand down his face. "What about you?"

Ambrose stared blankly at his father. "It's a lot to digest," he said honestly. "But, I mean, you're happy, right?"

Jess nodded hesitantly. "I'd be better if your sister weren't running off to her boyfriend and your mother wasn't on her way, but yeah, I'm good."

The phone rang, and Ambrose reached out to the side table to answer it. Jess moved to kneel in front of Gwen, his head burrowed into her still flat stomach. She stroked his hair softly for several silent moments--aside for the hushed sounds of Ambrose talking on the cordless in the kitchen.

"It could have been worse," Gwen said.

"She's right," he looked up into her eyes. "I'm trying so hard, I just can't do it right," he confessed.

"Do what right?"

"Be a parent," he finished his original thought. "I told Erin long ago, and I should warn you--I'm bad at this. I'm just not wired, I had no role models," he continued.

"Stop," she took his face in his hands. "Just stop. Jules is upset--what she said, even if it's how she feels, Jess, the things that she's been through aren't your fault. You've been everything to them, and this is just the shock of the situation making her lash out. She'll cool off."

"Erin's going to look for every excuse to try to get them out to California with her," he said at last. "I don't want them separated, and I don't want..."

"Just keep doing what you're doing--you're still the one that got them through the last year, Jess. As for this one," she put her hand on her stomach, which he kissed. "It's already partial to you. Or at least, I am."

He sighed and rested his head again, hoping against hope that his daughter would come home before his ex-wife showed up.

XXXX

Ella looked up as Jasper came through her front door. Her feet remained propped up on the coffee table, her hand wrapped around the remote control. A text book was propped open on her lap, though the way the sound level changed from the last channel to the next, it seemed her attention had waned away from the book.

"Any good infomericals?" he asked, sitting down on the chair adjacent to her.

"Not this time of day," she said.

"Right. Two in the morning, that's the time to see them."

"Especially if you want to order anything that will last more than ten days."

"How's the studying going?" he asked.

"Even bad informercials are distracting," she said.

"So, it's the informercials?"

"Well," she turned off the set and looked over to him. "Not entirely. I talked to Jake before he left."

"Is this about when I dropped him off?"

"No. What happened when you dropped him off?"

"Nothing. I just dropped the boys off and left," he promised.

"Oh," she nodded. "Well, you wouldn't want to keep your date waiting too long for you."

"Date?"

"The blonde?"

"Was she blonde?" he asked.

"You don't remember?"

He shrugged. "All I remember about her is that she had an unhealthy desire to discuss the calorie content of each and every thing I put in my mouth," he frowned.

"O-kay," she sat up straighter on the couch. "I don't need to hear about your dates, I just wanted you to know that I knew."

"Okay," he frowned. "And?"

"And, nothing. I mean, I'm fine with it."

"Are you?"

"Yes, I am."

"Well, I'm not," he confided.

"You're not?"

"That girl, she wasn't someone I was with because of my desire to be with her."

Ella frowned now at his admission. "Then why even bother?"

"Why not?" he asked. "Just because the girl I wanted to be out with was unavailable, I'm supposed to sit at home and do nothing?"

"No, but," she began.

"She made it more than clear that she was available, so it was quite conveinent. You don't show up to some of these parties alone, unless there is a certain level of trouble you want to find yourself in."

"I'm really confused," she began.

"I like you, Ella," Jasper said calmly. "My going out with other girls isn't going to change that fact."

"I'm not saying you shouldn't," she assured him.

"I'm not going to ask you to choose, either," he said quietly.

"Jasper," she swallowed. "I've only had one date with each of you."

"Yes, well, the thought that your date with him might have gone as well as your date with me," he began, but thought better of it. "I don't want to know. But consider this," he paused, "if a girl that means nothing to me bothers you this much, think of how I feel, knowing that my best friend isn't someone that means nothing to either of us."

"I realize that. But I don't expect that either of you are anticipating me being anything more than some girl whose hair color you can't remember the next day," she said rather truthfully and quietly. He reached out and ran his hand through her long hair, letting it fall through the comb he was creating.

"Then you're deluding yourself," he whispered. "On both counts."

Her mouth opened, her eyes full of moisture, but finding no words, it closed again as silently as it opened. She nodded briefly as he stood up and leaned down to kiss her forehead. "You have plans for Friday?"

"Parent's Weekend," she managed.

"I know--my parents will be coming in that night too. Before the insanity hits, I'd like some quiet time, just us."

"Sure," she nodded. "I'd like that."

He smiled. "Good. I'll leave you to your studying, then."

"Right," she pulled the book shut in her lap, gripping it between her hands.

XXXX

"I thought I was supposed to call you," Ambrose said.

"I can't wait around forever while you make your lame attempts to get my number," she teased.

"I've been home for an hour," he reminded.

"Well, I was talking to Ella after you left, and she mentioned your parents are divorced."

The words cut into him a little bit--one, not being used to hearing it applied to him; two, the recent converstaion about his father's impending remarriage swirling in his head--but he tried to focus on the other section of her sentence. "You asked Ella about me?"

"Not exactly. I was trying to find a subject family for a class project, asking her if anyone she knew came from a broken home."

"Don't you know anyone from a broken home?"

"No, all my friends' parents are together."

"That's, like, statistically impossible."

"It's true."

"All these people are happily married?"

"I didn't say that."

"Why do you need a divorced family?"

"For my sociology class, I have to do a case study of one family, and it's sort of due Friday, so I'm in a time crunch," she admitted.

"So, you need me in a bad way," he teased.

"I would be ever so grateful if you'd let me come and observe your family."

"Uh," he cringed.

"Just twenty-four hours. I just need to talk to each member that's living in the household," she promised.

"It's just," he started.

"I'll even help make dinner," she promised.

"It's kind of crowded around here. The only place for you to sleep is in my room," he tried.

"Don't you have a sister?" she asked knowingly.

"Damn Ella," he began.

"So, can I? I wouldn't intrude, but," she pleaded.

"You're not an intrusion. Come. Just, be forewarned that there's a lot of drama going on here right now."

"Hey, more for me to pad my paper with," she assured him. "It'll be fine. You'll hardly know I'm there."

"Doubtful," he said.

"Should I take a taxi from Grand Central?"

"I'll come meet you. What time?"

XXXX

Jasper came into the room and shut the door. His best friend--the guy that he'd literally known since birth, was sitting at the desk in the far corner of his bedroom, so he could see his head bent down in toil. He moved to the open doorway and leaned in it.

"Hey."

Pax looked up. "Oh, hey. Where've you been?"

"Out. When'd you get home?"

Pax leaned back to stretch out his back out. "Oh, a while ago. You guys have fun last night?" he changed the subject quickly.

"Sure. We got them plenty drunk, and Ambrose seems to have developed an affinity for our girl Rosa."

"No shit?" he laughed. "Bet that was an entertaining denial."

"He was drunk, and she made us leave. How was Maine?"

"How'd you...?" he frowned.

"Ella called Rosa, to tell her not to worry."

"Right," he nodded. "You know, lobster's good this time of year."

"Why are you doing this?" Jasper asked suddenly.

"Doing what, exactly?"

"Why her?"

"Ella?" Pax asked, knowing full well what his best friend was asking. The same thing he'd wanted to ask him.

"You're my best friend. Why not Rosa? She's been in love with you since we were in diapers."

"I like her. Same as you--and I can't date Rosa for all the reasons you're fully aware."

"If you knew I was into her, then she should have been off limits."

"She didn't want to be off limits," he pointed out, causing his friend to wince. "And as for Rosa, I love her same as you do, but it wouldn't be fair to her--you know that."

"So, you're going to continue to pursue her, no matter what?"

"Aren't you?"

Jasper stood up from his leaning perch. "Yeah, I am."

"May the best man win, then," Pax agreed.

"Just so you know, I didn't ever want to be in this position."

Pax looked at his friend sadly. "Yeah. Me either."

XXXX

Will stood in front of the cabinet, unloading boxes from the Doose's Market bag. Lorelai came into her kitchen and stopped short as she saw him mid-reach.

"Pilfering my supply again?"

"Restocking," he promised. "I cleaned you out before."

"I know. I saw your arm reaching, and I was sure I was going to have you in that room for a week," she said. "Everything okay?"

"Yeah," he promised. "Just kind of weird. Our therapist has us announcing every single last feeling and thought to each other--I had to get out of the house just so I could stop. I just wanted to be in a place where I didn't have to herald every single desire to change the channel and need to go to the bathroom."

"How will that help your relationship?" she asked.

"It's supposed to be more than that. We're supposed to be open to any situation that might trigger her getting upset over the rape memories, or my reservations about getting married."

"You have reservations, then?"

"Not about Anna," he sighed. "I love her, and I want to marry her--but when I was with Bree, I loved her too. I was going to marry her, as well, until," he sighed.

"Bree's problems had nothing to do with you," Lorelai reminded.

"Neither do Anna's," he said, his voice reminding her of when he was five and fell off his bike while learning to ride without training wheels.

"You just have to trust her, kid," she said softly, her hand on his arm.

"I'm doing this, aren't I?"

Lorelai nodded. "You're also hiding a little, aren't you?"

"Yeah, but I told her exactly why I was going, and she told me honestly that she was relieved to just sit alone in a hot bath," he smiled.

"Then maybe it's working already," Lorelai smiled. "Now, don't let me interrupt you," she moved her arm to allow him to continue to restock her supply of Pop Tarts.


	41. Chapter 41

"No," Ella crossed her arms, blocking her roommate's exit with her body. "You can't leave."

"Why not?" Rosa asked, letting her large duffel bag fall down off her shoulder and hit the floor.

"First of all, you're going to see Ambrose," she said as if she were trying to rid her mouth of an unpleasant taste.

"For a school project," she reminded.

"Yes. You chose to study him for a school project. What's next, you're going to take art and ask him to be your model?" she raised a suggestive eyebrow at her friend.

"He's a really nice guy," Rosa pointed out.

"That's highly debatable."

"And I'm not interested in dating him. This is all business. What's your second of all?"

"You can't leave me alone!"

Rosa rolled her eyes. "You're a big girl."

"What if the boys come over?"

"Tell them to go away," she offered. "They like it when you boss them, trust me."

"I don't want to do that," she sighed. "I don't know what to do."

"Well," Rosa inspected her manicure as if she were completely uninterested in what Ella was saying. "You could tell me what happened in Maine, and I could give you some advice."

"For the millionth time, I'm not discussing the personal details. With anyone," she added.

"Fine, you're on your own. I have a train to catch."

"Rosa!" she reached out for her friend, who'd now slung the duffel strap back over her shoulder. "I think you were right. I'm in over my head."

"We can discuss that when I get back, tomorrow night," she promised. "And I enjoy chocolate cake, raspberry filling, and pink icing that says, 'You were right, I was wrong,' when one is groveling," she smirked.

"You and Ambrose deserve each other," Ella narrowed her eyes as Rosa blew her a kiss and grabbed her purse. And just like that, she was gone.

XXXX

"Wait, you what?" Jess asked, as his son stood in front of him, eating an apple.

"It's just for twenty-four hours," he repeated what Rosa had told him. He could still hear her pleading voice in his head...

"Yes, twenty-four hours. Just twenty-four hours that you'll have some girl in here observing our family. The same twenty -four hours that your sister has run off to her boyfriend's house, the same twenty-four hours that your mother is coming back to meet my new girlfriend, and the same twenty-four hours that my father will be here to make all of the above just that much harder for me to bear."

"Will you quit saying twenty-four hours?" he rolled his eyes.

"Tell her to come another time. Any other time."

"She has a deadline."

"So tell her to pick another dysfunctional family!" Jess threw his hand up in the air.

"She says she doesn't know anyone else with divorced parents."

Jess looked at him in disbelief. "That's statistically improbable."

Ambrose shuddered. "God," he muttered.

"If she needs a list of people from broken homes, I can give her a list that would take her from now 'til next year to get through."

"She'll be here in two hours."

"Your mother will be here in two hours," Jess blinked.

"I know."

"You're going to pick her up, leaving me here alone when your mother and my father arrive?"

"You know, I never asked to be born," Ambrose began, his sarcastic drawl in full swing.

"Fine. Pick this girl up. But if you think you will have a shot in hell with her after she bears witness to the shit that's going to go on in this house in the next twenty-four hours, you've got more problems than I caused."

"What if I promised to get Jules here in my place before I left?"

"Oh, fantastic," Jess snarked.

"A compliant Jules that would be glad to support her loving father," Ambrose asked.

"Are there drugs involved?"

"I think it's best that you don't know my methods," he smirked.

"T-minus two hours," Jess held up his watch, and his son nodded and grabbed his house keys, ready to set out to pull off a miracle of unprecedented proportions.

XXXX

Davey sat at the counter, with Will and Anna seated at the same table in the diner. They were the only ones in the diner, as Luke had consented to shutting down for the activity since the post breakfast lull on a Monday meant he wasn't missing out on any profit—if anything giving the help a couple hours off was saving him money. He had but one job during the duration of the morning—bodyguard.

Lorelai sat on the opposite end of the counter--guarded by Luke and having her mouth filled with pie. Sookie had been banned altogether, due to her tendency to shout things out during games such as Trivial Pursuit as if she were playing charades--or a Tourette's patient that offered up correct answers out of turn and at a very high volume.

"Anna is afraid of only one thing in nature. Name that thing."

"Moths," Will said without thought.

"Correct," Dave put a checkmark next to the question. "What is that about, Ann?"

"You're just the moderator, not the commentator," she rolled her eyes. "And they're just creepy."

"O-kay," Dave shook his head. "Will cheated on one test in school. What was his reason for doing so?"

Anna tucked one strand of hair behind her ear. "He didn't get a chance to study."

Another checkmark. "The reason was?"

"He'd stayed out all night for the first time," she stole a glance at Lorelai and Luke, as if feeling guilty for outing him to his parents. "With Bree. They took his Dad's pickup out to the woods between here and Woodbridge," she said.

"Will!" Lorelai managed, through a mouthful of pie.

"Spectators are warned to be quiet, lest they need to be removed from the premises," Dave held up his hand.

"Said spectators own the premises," Luke gruffed.

"Right. Sorry. Shall we continue?" he asked.

"Come on, Dave," Will sighed. He'd already sat through several revelations from his childhood--things he had never intended on his parents finding out. Small scams, misstepped truths, nothing major--but what they hadn't known wouldn't have ever hurt them.

"Fine," Dave shuffled through his cards. They were neck and neck, and this had been going on for over an hour. There were only three questions left for each of them. He truly hoped that once they got through this they'd see it was stupid for them to even think they didn't know each other inside and out.

"Will--what is the one dish that my mother makes that Anna hates?"

"What?" Lorelai yelped in the quiet moment after the question.

"Audience," Davey warned.

"The green macaroni and cheese thing," he answered, a small smile gracing his lips.

"How did you know?" she asked, her hand actually going up to her mouth in surprise. "Either of you!"

"I saw you cleaning out your napkin a few years ago. I thought it was a fluke 'til I watched you do it the next time Mom made it," Dave smirked. "Don't worry, she has no idea."

"We were in the food court at the Hartford Mall when we were doing out Christmas shopping last year, and the sample guy offered you the jalapeno chipotle sauce, and you made a face like you were about to be sick--your nose wrinkled up and you told him that you'd hit him when he was pushing the onion blossom horseradish," he smiled.

"You remember that?"

"I remember that," he nodded.

"You guys are kind of making a mockery of the whole psychiatry profession here," Dave sighed. "Okay, one last question, and it's to you, little sister."

"I'm ready," she nodded, resettling herself in her chair as Will's arm draped around the back of her seat. The tension was non-existent in the group, as even Lorelai was feeling relief at this point and had lain off the pie consumption.

"Alright, the final question, Anna--how does Will take his burger?"

There was a silence as all eyes fell on the suddenly very quiet Anna. It was the simplest question that could have been posed to her. She'd literally been in his presence for the consumption for thousands of hamburgers. It'd been a staple of their lives--they'd all taken turns working at Luke's Diner, and eaten nearly every after school meal there for all of their formative years.

And yet somehow, for the life of her, she couldn't hear the words in her head of him actually giving cooking instructions for any of those burgers. Luke never asked any of them what they wanted, having known since the time they were old enough to chew solid food what they liked, disliked, were allergic to, etc.

"Ann?" Dave asked. Will's hand was now on her shoulder.

"I don't know," she frowned.

"How do you not know?" Dave asked.

"We always eat here!" she said, rubbing her temples slightly.

"You've been in other restaurants with him," he encouraged.

"I guess that part never really enters my consciousness!" she admitted. "I mean, it's just something that I never even thought that I didn't know," she frowned.

"It's okay," Will said softly as she was clearly growing upset.

"No, it's not! It's so basic! I should know that at least."

"Like you said, you're so used to knowing everything about me, it never even occurred to you to pay attention," he began.

"That's just it! She's right, we don't really know each other well enough--we did this all wrong!"

"Ann, you were the one that said," he began.

"I know what I said, but I got all caught up in your insisting that we do know each other, and then when you knew about the green mac and cheese thing," she sighed. "I just got my hopes up. I don't want to go back to that therapist and admit that I don't really know you as well as I should."

Lorelai put her fork down and stood up. "I know exactly what you guys need."

XXXX

Ella opened her door after taking a breath of courage. Rosa's leaving had left her wide open for anything to happen—she felt as if her safeguard had been stolen from her. Bracing to see one of the two boys she couldn't bear to even begin to choose between, she was actually relieved to see Greyson standing in front of her.

"You're got to help me," he said, moving into the room with his book bag stuffed to the gills as it rested against his back.

"What's the problem?" she shut her door.

"I can't begin the assignment, because I'm not even sure what the assignment is," he said, holding up the first page, where their assignment had been typed out. In Russian.

"Cut it out," she rolled her eyes, taking her position up on the couch once more as she had her Calculus book open in wait.

"I'm not kidding. I looked this word up, here," he pointed. "Not even in my dictionary."

"Get a better dictionary."

"Ella, please. I know you got some ridiculously high test-in score," he groaned. "I'm already putting my graduation off because I can't seem to find a major, but if I start failing classes, my parents will kill me."

"I highly doubt that," she laughed.

"Not after this weekend, you won't."

"Fine. I will tell you the directions, if you promise to leave me to do my Calculus."

"Just let me stay until I have a hang of it."

"Fine. You're to read the paragraphs, write a summary both in Russian and English of the story, and then conjugate all the verbs."

"That's it?" he asked.

"Says the guy that couldn't even read the directions."

"You talk like your help doesn't benefit you. I owe you one now."

"I'll remember that."

They went to work in silence. Her math went as slowly for her as his Russian did for him—had they swapped, their pain would have been minimized greatly, but going to Yale wasn't always about minimizing brain strain. After an hour had passed, she collapsed back against the pillows of the couch. He looked up from his armchair.

"Yeah. Me too."

"That favor you owe me?" she asked.

"Yeah?"

"Ice cream. My brain hurts, I need a really good brain freeze right about now."

He smiled. "Logical thinking. Let's go," he stood up, stretching his prior hunched over muscles and following her out of the confines of the study room.

XXXX

"Whatever it is, now isn't the time and here isn't the place," Jules said as she stood outside the brownstone that Court's family called home.

"I know you're pissed off."

"You must get that from Dad," she rolled her eyes as her arms crossed.

"You knew this had to be happening," Am said.

"That makes it worse! It was happening, and he didn't bother to tell us, even though he had ample opportunity! All those weird trips to the store, her getting 'sick' during the dinner with Court…."

"If you got pregnant would you come home right as soon as you found out to tell Dad?"

She was silent and shifted her weight. "I wouldn't get pregnant."

Am laughed. "Funny, I'm pretty sure that's what everyone who thinks they've got all their bases covered would say."

"You're on his side?"

"There are no sides, here, Jules, and if there were, then yeah, I guess I am. Because Dad is the one that stuck it out here, that was more concerned about us than himself during the whole last year."

More silence from his sister. "So," she said after a minute of consideration, "What do you want me to do?"

"Come home. You can be as pissed off as you want to be, for whatever stupid reason you have, just as soon as Mom and Grandpa leave. But while they're there, just be on his side."

"You're not upset, even a little?" she asked softly.

"About what?"

"He's replacing us," she managed.

"No," he shook his head as his jaw set. "Mom did." He looked at his watch and grimaced. "Get home, I'll be there as soon as I can."

She stood looking up at the building as her brother took for the subway, leaving her to make the decision as to what really was best.

XXXX

"Poor Jess," Tristan shook his head as he reached for another large slice.

"He seems happy about it," Rory reminded.

"Still. Midnight feedings, colic, going for rides around the neighborhood 'til they fall asleep?" he reminisced.

"Actually Jess loved all that. He's a night owl, and he didn't have a car back then, so he'd just take the car seats on the subway at three in the morning," she smiled.

"Aren't you guys too old to be having kids?" Jake asked as he tried to cram all the cheese that was threatening to escape the crust into his mouth.

"You want to give him that miracle of life talk again?" Rory turned to Tristan.

"More like it's a miracle all their parts still work at their age," Jake muttered.

"Don't be gross. And lots of people have kids in their thirties and forties," Rory threw a pillow at her son.

"I'm just glad it's him and not you guys," Jake said.

"We got our perfect children," Rory beamed at him. "Besides, we're almost rid of you; we don't care to start over."

"Two more years," he reminded. "Then it'll be back to New York."

"Connecticut," Rory corrected.

"They're moving NYU?" Jake frowned.

"NYU?" Rory asked, putting her pizza down.

"An option," Tristan sighed.

"Not in this family," she looked to him. "Is this because of the move?" Rory asked.

"No, Mom, this is because of me."

"Did something happen at Yale?" she asked.

"No, it's just that I was talking to Ambrose," he began.

"Ambrose doesn't have the same grades as you do," she began.

"He's just as smart as I am," Jake sighed.

"We know that," Tristan said. "But Yale is going to look at test scores, that's all your mother is saying, and your test scores," he started.

"My test scores from the school down south aren't going to be looked at as favorably as the New York school," he pointed out.

"Then we'll get you into a better school," Rory said simply.

"I don't want to—I want to try public school," he protested.

"Look, Jake, this is going to be an adjustment for all of us," Rory began, trying to keep her sanity with her.

"Why does everything have to be decided right this second?" Jake asked as he stood up and stalked off to his room, the familiar sound of sulking teenager filling the house as he trudged up the stairs and slammed his bedroom door.

"Jess has the right idea, starting over from scratch," Rory laid out on the floor, groaning. "Remember when they were little and we took them to campus for the first time?"

"The Harvard/Yale game," Tristan nodded.

"And when we got home, Ella made us put her winning pennant up on her wall?" she mused.

"Jake cried when we took that Bulldog T-shirt off him," she began again as her husband watched her look around the living room, growing misty-eyed. "I'm sorry," she sighed.

"Moving isn't going to strip the memories from you, you know," he said finally, after he'd moved over to lie down next to her on the living room carpet.

She just nodded. "And Jake is sixteen. He's going to decide on five different colleges between now and actually moving into a dorm."

She nodded again, sniffling less.

"And if we have to, we just tell him that if he doesn't try Yale for a year, we'll arrange for him not to get his trust fund until he turns thirty-five," he smirked.

Rory turned her eyes on him. "You wouldn't!"

"For you? Anything."

She leaned over and kissed him. "I'm still gonna miss this."

"They have pizza in North Carolina," he whispered. "Not to mention angsty teenagers."

"You know what I mean," she put her head on his chest.

"Yeah. I do," he kissed her hairline and they just listened to the thumping bass that their son had kicked up, causing the walls around his room to vibrate along with the music that only kept up pace with his racing thoughts on the unfairness of having parents.

XXXX

Ambrose stood near the platform, humming a song off the old Metallica CD he found in his Dad's stash, rocking back nervously on his heels. By the time her train began to expel its contents, he'd seriously begun to wonder if his father was right about the fact that her seeing his family this week of all weeks was the best idea.

"Hey!" she called out, his head snapping to see if he could find her. She was nearly lost in a mass of much taller people, but as they gave way, he finally spotted her. He gave a nod, and she hurried up to join him.

"That it?" he asked as he took the larger duffel from her shoulder.

"Yep. Which way do we go?"

"Follow me," he began the trip to the unknown.

XXXX

Ella sat across from Grey in the ice cream parlor, holding her head in discomfort.

"I thought you were kidding," he laughed at the consequences of her childlike overindulgences.

"I really like ice cream," she smiled through her pain. "There is only one way to eat it—as fast as you can get it in your mouth," she said. "Don't you agree?"

"All I want to know is which of my friends should I inform of your affinity to ice cream?"

"What?" she asked, clearly playing dumb.

"After seeing them this morning, after the first round, I don't think I can sit idly by while this continues," he admitted.

"What happened?" she asked.

"I don't know. But they're acting weird."

"Look, Grey, my social life isn't up for discussion, okay?"

"Fine," he said, taking another spoonful of ice cream.

"Weird how?"

He sighed. "I think they're avoiding each other. They won't discuss you at all, which is just making it worse—each one thinking about what's gone on between you," he nodded. "You understand."

"You're right, it can't go on like this," she frowned. "I just need a little more time," she bit her lip. "You believe that I care about both of them, don't you?"

He nodded. "I wouldn't even bring it up, but they're my best friends. It really sucks to see them like this."

She nodded. "I know. I guess it was dumb to think that college life would be so carefree and inhibited, huh?"

"No man is an island," he shook his head. "I'd take you off their hands, but you have to understand, I want you only for your knowledge of Russian," he deadpanned.

She laughed out loud. "Now that is the kind of admission I can take."

XXXX

Jess stared at the clock. Gwen wasn't due home from work for hours—something they'd agreed that there was no need for her to shorten today. He wanted a chance go gauge the situation before she got home anyhow… it'd been a long time since he'd seen Erin, and longer since he'd seen Jimmy. Right now he just hoped that his son had come through.

Jules entered the apartment silently, her hair falling over one side of her face as her father looked at her with relief.

"Just so you know, I'm still pissed," she said curtly.

"I know," he breathed, waiting for her to lay it on the line.

"But," she fidgeted, as she'd done since she was a little girl, "that's something we can discuss after Mom leaves."

"Really?"

She nodded. She opened her mouth to speak again, but no words came out in time for the buzzer to announce the arrival of guests. He stepped forward and buzzed them on, pulling his daughter against him hard in the last spare moments before all hell broke loose.

"Thank you," he kissed the top of her head, and she squeezed her eyes shut as he continued to hold her.

XXXX

Mal and Davey brought in a huge bowl of popcorn to the front room. Anna sat on the couch, staring at Will as he leafed through the pamphlet.

"No mention of shrinks," he assured her.

"It's a couples' retreat, of course there are shrinks," she tossed back.

"It says it's filled with trust-building activities and restful spa days," he winced.

"Don't worry, I'll beat off anyone that comes near you with an orange stick," she laughed.

"An orange stick?" Dave asked.

Mal kissed his cheek. "Don't worry about it. Which movie are we watching?"

"How about _Waterworld_?" Anna asked, causing the whole room to turn and stare at her, slack jawed.

"You know, maybe I don't know you at all," Will took her feet off his lap gingerly, but she kicked his thigh.

"I love Kevin Costner!"

"So watch _Field of Dreams_," he threw back a counter offer.

"We always watch _Field of Dreams_."

"Because it's good," he pointed out, "unlike the torture that is _Waterworld_."

"What about _Dances With Wolves_?" Mal suggested.

"I don't want to see naked man-ass," Dave groaned.

"Grow up," Mal shot back.

"You know, this retreat is for young married couples, as well as about to be married," Will spoke up, causing his hosts to stop their squabbling.

"Yeah, I'm sure Lorelai could pull some strings, get you guys in too," Anna sat up straighter; that 'hah' look in her eyes as she looked at her brother.

"No way, we know each other plenty well, thank you," Dave held up his hands. "You're not dragging me down with you."

"Says the man that thought it was a good idea to tell his fiancé that he wanted four in four on the same day he went to see strippers?" Mal reminded, causing Will to hide his laugher behind Anna's shoulder as he pulled her up into his lap.

"You can't be serious. You want to go?"

"You agree to go, and we won't watch naked man-ass," she offered.

"I feel like I should be taking notes," Will whispered into Anna's ear.

"Fine. I'll go. I won't like it, but I'll go," he groaned, and a compromise of _Bull Durham_ was agreed to so the foursome could settle down in relative enjoyment.

XXXX

Ella groaned as the short rapping came to her suite door. She was still working on her Calculus homework, needing to get it done before her last class of the day. She vowed to herself that she needed to remember that weekends needed to have some time devoted to homework—living in a world of being whisked away to castles and far off beaches really wasn't what she came to Yale to find out about. She'd read enough fairytales in her youth.

"I swear to God, I'm buying you a new Russian dictionary!" she yelled as she got to the door, only to see a bewildered-looking blonde standing on the other side of her door.

"I appreciate the offering, but I really don't do the whole Russian thing," he shook his head. "Sprechen Sie Deutsch?"

"Ja wohl," she said suddenly.

"Really?" he asked. "Multilingual?"

"Not really," she bit her lip. "It's the only German I know. I know how to say one or two phrases in a few languages, but Russian was my choice in high school."

"I see. And here you almost impressed me," he laughed.

"I'll have to work on that," she walked away from the door. "You want to impress me, you can pull out your magic wand and get my Calc homework finished in the next twenty minutes," she cringed.

"I'm sorry, my parents didn't pass on the math gene to me," he shook his head. "Once I'm out of the class or done with the test, it's pretty much been kissed goodbye."

"Then you're useless to me," she flicked her hand to the door. "Be gone."

"And leave you here to stew alone in misery? Never."

"Pax," she tilted her head. "Seriously, he checks our homework, I have to get this done."

He nodded. "I really only came to drop off something," he said, pulling her light blue hoodie out of his bag.

"Oh, right," she blushed as she took the soft material from his hands.

"Thought you might need it, some night when you didn't have anything else keeping you warm," he said, his voice suddenly lower, making her eyes flash up to meet his.

"Pax," she whispered.

"I know, you want me to go," he ran his tongue over his upper lip before pressing his lips together.

"I just, I have work to get done."

Neither of them moved, his hand still resting on hers as she clutched at her previously forgotten article of clothing.

"I want to see you again."

"Me too," she assured him.

"I was going to back off, give you some time, but," he gritted his teeth and thought better of what he was about to say. "I want to see you again."

"Why don't you just come back later, after dinner. It'll be weird not having anyone else in the suite," she hinted.

"I'll be here," he promised, leaning in to kiss her quickly but failing in execution. They lingered a bit longer against one another, her resolution to get her work done or even to go to class waning as the fuzziness of warmth and skin surrounded her.

"I should go," he said to remind them both.

"Yeah, homework won't do itself," she said, pulling back and tucking hair behind her ears.

He nodded and stood up from the couch, taking in another look at her before leaving. She sat, staring at the door with wide blue eyes and slightly swollen lips for a bit too long, before hastily putting her pencil back to paper in efforts to at least get some work done on each irritatingly long problem she'd been assigned.


	42. Chapter 42

"Rock, paper, scissors?" Jess asked as the buzzer buzzed, announcing the arrival of his ex-wife and so-called father. Some days he wished he could prove no genetic relation to the man, but sadly, he'd seen his record collection and there was no denying his paternity.

"You're the adult," she begged off, pushing him toward the door.

"Sure, now I'm the one in charge," he complained.

She had to smile, even though she was dreading what lay in wait for what was coming through the door in mere seconds. Her mother, and all the stuff that happened at the dinner last Christmas… even just being in her grandparents house while her mother tried to pretend that their world wasn't crashing down around them, insisting they open more gifts.

"No, I don't think it was a stupid thing to do," Jimmy said as Jess opened up the door, ready to greet his guests.

"Do you know the kind of bacteria and germs that live in those carts?" Erin asked.

"I know everything about hot dogs. Go on, ask me anything," he began.

"If you even say the words hot dog to me one more time, I'm going to throw you into one of those street vendors' carts, then you'll be singing a different tune. At least until the flesh-eating virus hits," she added.

"Maybe I'll stuff you in there, can't be anything but an improvement," he muttered.

"I see as always, you two shouldn't be allowed in the same city block as one another," Jess smirked as he shook his father's hand and shut the door behind his ex-wife.

"Your father is crazy," she said as her smile broke at seeing her daughter standing back toward the couch. "As am I after the six hour flight we've shared. Hey, honey," she said, moving to wrap her arms around her.

"Hey, Mom," she patted her back quickly, and moved to hurry to her grandfather's arms.

"Grandpa!" she squealed, as he picked her up and swirled her around. "You brought me presents?"

"What good is a grandpa that doesn't bring presents?" Jimmy feigned shock.

"Tell me it's not another vinyl, I keep telling you, we don't have a record player," Jess reminded.

"Which is a whole other problem," Jimmy stated. "It's blasphemous, actually, considering the fact that you claim to enjoy good music. You haven't heard Bowie until you've heard Ziggy on vinyl."

Erin listened to the back and forth for a moment, before looking around the apartment for the other expected face. "Hey, Jess," she bit her lip, eyeing him finally in what he hoped was amusement.

"Yeah?"

"Is it me, or are we missing a kid?"

He smirked. "Well, you know, I got strapped for cash, I had to sell him off first—he's much more marketable than Jules."

Jules slugged her father in the bicep, but Jimmy took her under his arm and led her off toward the bedrooms. "Where will I really be staying? Surely you don't want to give me up to a hotel," he began as Jess and Erin were left alone, standing in what had once been their living room.

"Am went to pick someone up. He should be home any second."

She nodded. "It's good to see you. You look good."

He nodded. "Yeah. How's California?"

"Probably the same as when you left it," she shrugged. "Too damn sunny and full of hippies."

He grunted in acknowledgement as she leaned over the divider counter in the kitchen as he began to put water on for coffee. "And the job?"

"Exciting, busy, you know," she began. "Probably not worth it," she admitted, causing him to look up.

"Erin, that's not what I--," he shook his head.

"I know. But it's the truth," she sighed. "I'm not seeing him anymore."

"Huh," he nodded, wholly unsure what to do with this knowledge.

"I called it off when I got the finalized divorce papers. It just seemed," she frowned as she cut off. "Well, anyway."

"If you want me to entertain Jimmy tonight, so you can be with the kids, I understand."

"Actually I was hoping we could all go out together," she said, doing her best to play it upbeat.

"Even Jimmy?" he snorted.

"He is your father."

"Hey, I never liked your parents much; you don't have to pretend you liked mine. Hell, most of the time I don't even like mine."

"You think our kids will talk about us like that?" she cringed.

"Let's hope not," he poured two cups of coffee, setting one in front of her, already mixed with two spoonfuls of sugar and one dash of creamer.

"Thanks."

"Yeah, well," he shrugged, suddenly realizing that it'd been two weeks since he made a pot of coffee in this maker—and he moved to crack the window to rid the smell of coffee from the apartment. Gwen might have a pleadable case for murder if he let her walk into the smell she missed so much.

"What're you doing?" Erin laughed as he opened a window, letting the hot breeze sweep through the apartment. "It's over eighty degrees out there."

"How's the coffee?"

"Same as always. You never give up your secret, do you? Not even Luke knows what you added to his brew," she smiled as she took another drink.

"To my grave," he patted his heart.

"So," she sighed, looking at him with an intensity he hadn't seen for over a year. It'd been months before she left that she'd even looked him full on in the eyes, let alone….

"I'm home!" Ambrose cried out from the front door, making a scuffling sound and a female giggle being heard before he appeared in front of his bewildered parents. A girl and her duffle bag were what he had in tow, and he swore his father visibly paled.

"This is Rosa Langley," he introduced. "And these are your interviewees—my father, Jess, whom you've met," he paused, "and my mom, Erin, fresh from California."

"Nice to meet you," she shook hands curtly with Erin. "And great to see you again. You seemed to be Superman, the way you swooped into our room and helped out."

"Just doing my god-fatherly duties," he nodded. "Am, why don't you show her to Jules' room. You know, where she'll be sleeping," he added pointedly.

"Actually, I was going to put her in my room, and just crash on the couch."

Jess took a deep breath in. "Can I have a word with you?"

Erin seemed to be watching the silent struggle between them, but said nothing.

"Dad, come on," Am rolled his eyes.

"If I could just interject," Rosa smiled. "I can assure you, no matter where I sleep tonight, he won't be allowed in a five-foot radius of me."

"I like her," Erin said, glancing to Jess.

"Yeah, she's growing on me too," he nodded. "Fine just stash her stuff and round up your sister and grandpa."

"Grandpa's here? Cool," Am put his hand to the small of Rosa's back, guiding her back down the hall to greet the others.

"Why do they love him so much?" Erin asked.

"Why else? To piss me off," he shook his head, taking another sip of coffee as if it might do the trick to clear his head.

"You and me both," she raised her own coffee mug and took a long sip, waiting for words.

XXXX

Ella smoothed her hair and ran her lips across each other, hoping that nothing had gone awry in the last ten seconds since she checked her appearance in a mirror. Pax had called ten minutes ago, telling her that he'd be right over—ten minutes of building nerves. She had no idea what she was doing anymore, all she knew is that she hoped that each and every moment she spent with each boy counted—not to mention to give her a sense of which one she would rather be with. As it was, each moment seemed only to serve her with a sense of never wanting to be without either.

She opened the door, expecting to see him just as he was. His slightly tousled blonde hair, his t-shirt outlining his biceps, his bag slung over his shoulder so the strap held tight against his chest.

"Hey," she smiled breathlessly.

"Hey. You look great," he added.

"Oh, thanks," she ran a hand through her hair quickly, as if showing she did no preparation for his arrival at all. He just smiled. "Oh, come on in," she offered.

"I have a surprise for you," he admitted as he came in, and she moved to stand close enough for him to have the option of kissing her.

"Is that so?" she smiled. "You're going to keep me in suspense?"

"Not long," he promised. "But I'm going to need you to sit over there and close your eyes. No peeking," he said as she sat down and did as she was told.

"What kind of surprise is it?"

"Do we need to talk about trust again?" he sighed, but she could hear the teasing smile that no doubt covered his face. She twitched, wanting to open her eyes and see it.

"No peeking," he warned.

She sighed and listened as she heard movement around her room. There was more than one person moving about her room—and she began to wonder if he was having her room filled with candles and flowers or setting up some other romantic accoutrements. Her imagination was running totally out of control by the time she heard all movement still and Pax's voice telling her to open up.

To say the least, it wasn't what she expected. Where she expected candles, she saw snack food. Where she expected flowers, she saw Greyson and Jasper. Her mouth opened in surprise.

"You said you thought it'd be weird, being here alone, and I know you were freaking out about needing more study time—so we're here to study, you know, make sure you get down to business."

"Oh, great," she frowned, moving toward the couch.

"Come sit by me," Grey patted the couch. "And bring your Russian dictionary," he smirked.

"Something tells me I'm still gonna miss Rosa," she muttered under her breath as she caught Jasper's eye and he smiled softly before looking back down at his opened notes.

XXXX

"So?" Sookie asked, putting down the plate in front of her husband.

"Well," he stuck his fork into the broccoli. "This is very firm broccoli," he commented.

"About Billy," she tried to focus him.

"Well, I talked to him."

"And?"

"And," he looked down the hall to see if any of their kids might be lurking. This seemed to be one of the rare nights that all of their children had plans other than eating dinner at home.

"Jackson!" she yelped as she put her plate down next to his.

"I think that Billy is involved in something."

"Involved in something? Like drugs?" she whispered to match his suddenly quiet tone.

"No, not drugs," he shook his head. "Now, I don't want to upset you, but I think he's dabbling in a love that dares not speak its name," he said cryptically.

"You think he's involved with… himself?" she said the last word slowly.

"What?"

"Well, people don't talk about that," she said. "Well, normal people don't talk about it," she blushed. "I heard Kirk talking to Taylor once, but--," she trailed off, looking confused. Or perhaps just disgusted.

"No, I'm not talking about self-pleasuring," he shook his head.

"Then what are you talking about?" she demanded, her hands falling flat against the table.

"You know," he urged.

"I wish I did!" she threw her hands up in the air. "You think he's dating an older woman?"

"No! I think he's …," he broke off.

"What?"

"Not that they're anything wrong with it, but I think maybe, he's involved with another guy."

Sookie's eyes went blank, and she then proceeded to burst into laughter.

"I'm serious!"

"You're good, you had me going! Lorelai put you up to this!" she howled.

"I'm not kidding. He's going out to New Haven, and he went into a club called Twist and Shout," he drawled.

"You followed him?"

"Well, he's been so quiet, so busy," he nodded. "I think what we have to do is make him know it's okay to come and talk to us about this. Invite the boy over, if he likes."

"Yeah, yes," Sookie nodded vigorously. "I mean, if he is… he's our son and we can support him. Ooh, we can organize a Gay Pride Parade through the town square! Lorelai can help make a big Rainbow banner, we'll get the Ms. Patty dancers to do a few numbers," she began.

"So, it's decided. We'll just let him know that we accept it," Jackson nodded.

Sookie let out a breath. "Good thing we took care of this ourselves," she said, and began silently chewing her food, as she and her husband became engulfed in thought over how to handle the situation.

XXXX

"So, where should we go to dinner?" Erin asked as the group stood around in the family room.

"Don't we have to wait for Gwen?" Am asked, feigning innocence.

"Oh," Erin looked to Jess. "I didn't realize," she shook her head.

"She should be off work by now, so by the time we decide she'll be here and ready to go," he waved it off. "Just pick anything."

"Is that a good idea?" Jules asked suddenly, to which she was met with a death glare by her father. "I just mean, I have a date later, so I can't be at one of those three hour minimum wait time places," she covered.

"You have a date?" Erin asked, her jaw gaping close to the floor.

"Er," Jess began. "It's fine."

"It's not fine, she's not sixteen," she held her hand up toward Jules, as if to show him her statement of fact.

"Mom!" Jules protested.

"I'm sorry, Jules, clearly your father shouldn't have promised you could go out on a date, when he knows that I don't approve."

"Hang on," Jess said, his calm demeanor waning.

Ambrose leaned in close to Rosa. "Mayday," he said under his breath.

"Just how long have you let this go on?" Erin asked Jess.

"It's just been a couple months," he said. "She has a steady boyfriend, we've met him."

"We? No, we've not met him, Jess, because I've never even heard of him!"

"And whose fault is that? You're not here, Erin, what did you expect would happen? Me to call you every time something came up to see how you'd handle it if you'd bothered to stick around? You can't have it both ways. This is my house now, so yeah, things are handled a little differently. But this is how it's handled. Jules brought Court by, he had dinner with me and Gwen, and our daughter is happy. What part of this bothers you most—the fact that our kids are adjusting or the fact that you were left out?"

"That's not fair! We agreed before," she started, but he cut her off.

"We agreed on a lot of things before," he gruffed.

"Okay," Jimmy said as they glared at each other, Jess's comment enough to silence both of them—and everyone else in the room. "Maybe we'll all just head down and try to find a couple of cabs," he said, just wanting to give them a few minutes alone.

Once the kids had filed out after their grandfather, Jess looked to Erin. "I'm sorry. But you can't come in here now and decide how things are. This is how they are, and if it's not how you'd like it," he breathed.

"I just didn't expect," she began, her eyes tearing up, "Everything's different."

"Yeah. I guess it is."

"And you," she smiled as a few tears fell down her cheeks. "You seem good."

"I am," he nodded.

"I'm sorry. So the kids are in relationships," she nodded.

"And so am I," he said gently.

"So, Ambrose wasn't just trying to get under my skin?" she sniffed.

"It's serious."

"Joining us for dinner serious," she nodded.

"I'm sorry that all of this is being pushed at you, but I didn't exactly plan this trip. I didn't plan a lot of things," he sighed, one hand running through his hair.

"Jess?" Gwen called out from the doorway.

"In here," he called, still staring at Erin.

"Oh, I thought there'd be way more people in here," she stopped next to him as she saw him and Erin standing in the living room. "Hi, you must be Erin," she stuck her hand out to greet her. "I'm Gwen."

"Nice to meet you," she said numbly, as she shook her hand briefly.

"Where are the kids?"

"Jimmy took 'em down to get cabs. We're going out to dinner."

Gwen nodded and took Jess's outstretched hand. "Shall we?" she smiled at Erin, and they made their way down to find the rest of the group.

XXXX

"What were you, class valedictorian?" Grey asked as he looked over Ella's notes.

"Salutatorian," Jasper supplied, not even looking up. Ella and Pax both looked at him.

"Why, um, why do you ask?" she looked down at their papers.

"It just seems like you're in a lot of higher level classes," he said, frowning at the fact that one simple question even brought up weirdness. "Not that I'm complaining. If you get me through Russian, I'll owe you my life."

"I'd rather have cash," she joked.

"How about a trip to Paris?" Pax offered. "You've always wanted to go, right?"

Now Grey and Jasper looked to him. Ella looked completely flustered. "Well, not that I'd turn it down, but I think Moscow would be more fitting."

"Touché," Grey nodded. "Fine, then the question comes up of if you could have anything in the world, what would it be?"

Ella frowned. "I'm guessing you want something more grandiose than passing math?"

"You'd want to stop running," Jasper said simply, putting his pencil down in the middle of his notebook.

Ella's mouth dropped open, wanting words to come out, but her left her speechless. The room was silenced as he stood up and announced his need for some fresh air.

"Maybe it's time to call it a night," Grey ventured.

"Yeah," Pax agreed, standing up.

"No," Ella stood up, "Just, let me talk to him, you guys study," she nodded, taking a deep breath as she approached the door. She found Jasper standing out in the hallway, his eyes closed as his head rested against the wall.

"Hey," she managed, moving up to stand next to him. "That was…."

"True?" he asked, opening one eye.

"Yeah," she nodded. "Look, Jasper," she grappled for words.

"I'm sorry," he said, putting his hands on her arms. "Being in there, it just started to feel like some sort of challenge. I don't have to tell you that this is just going to get harder for everyone," he led.

"I know."

"And if there is anything I can do, to make you more confident," he let his hand wind around her body, pulling her in close to him, "in feeling that you're wanted."

"Just keep doing what you're doing," she smiled softly. "Come back in?"

"Sure," he kissed her cheek. "Are you coming back?" he teased.

"Yeah," she promised.

"Els?" came a deep voice from down the hall.

"Will?" she asked.

"Hey," he moved to hug her.

"Jas, I'll be right in," she signaled for him to go in ahead of her.

"Yeah," he nodded, eyeing the guy before heading back into the room, leaving Ella to turn around and hug her uncle again.

"What are you doing here?"

"I promised I'd come by," he reminded. "I just got out of my late class, thought I'd swing by, but I didn't realize you had company," he raised one eyebrow.

"Oh, it's not what you think," she shook her head. "Tell me what's going on with you, how's Anna?"

"Oh, well," he shrugged. "We're kind of, going away this weekend," he rubbed the back of his neck uncomfortably.

"Somewhere romantic?" she winked.

"Couplesretreat," he slurred quickly.

"What?"

"A couples' retreat," he said slower and much more sheepishly.

"Why?" she frowned.

"It's supposed to build trust and teach us communication skills," he shook his head. "I don't really want to talk about it. Can I just come in and hang out for a minute before I head back?"

"Oh, uh, sure," she hesitated. "Are you sure you wouldn't rather head to the Pub?"

"We're here," he sighed. "I'm really beat, I just need something to drink and to not be thinking about business models or my relationship," he pleaded.

"Fine," she muttered, sounding every bit like her mother. "Just know that this wasn't my idea," she warned.

"What wasn't your--," he cut off as he filed into her room to find three boys seated around the common room, all munching on snacks and seemingly set to study.

"Oh God, not another one," Grey uttered, causing Ella to chuckle under her breath.

"Let me do the introductions, Will, these are friends of mine—Greyson, Paxton, and Jasper. Boys, this is my uncle Will."

"Uncle?"

"I'm getting the feeling that you're all pretty happy I'm related to her," he laughed as Ella tossed him a cold soda.

"I thought we agreed to no personal business," she accused. "Besides, we're all just studying. They were all good enough to come keep my company while my roommate is in New York. You remember Rosa?"

"The flirty one," he nodded.

"My sister," Grey said, deadpanned.

"Sorry."

"It's okay. I've seen her in action," Grey shrugged. "You have to learn to ignore it when you have a sister."

"Tell me about it," Will agreed as he opened his soda.

"Hey, your sister is my mother," Ella complained.

"Don't worry, I've only ever see her be disgusting with your dad," Will laughed.

"Haven't we all?" Pax smirked, catching Ella's eye as she glared his direction.

"Okay, new topic," she announced as the boys got a good laugh in—though they promised they were only laughing with her, despite her inability to overcome the ick factor.

XXXX

"Well, since you have plans later, do you mind if I ask you a few things before dinner?" Rosa asked Jules as they headed to the bathroom as the rest of the dinner party waited out in the main lounge area. They were given a half hour wait time—a danger to the party in and of itself. Jess was having serious doubts already as to if a half hour spent together would result in their entire party still being in the same building.

"Ask away," Jules nodded as they stepped into adjoining stalls. "So, you're dating my brother?"

"No, we're just friends. I'm Ella's roommate, and I got to know him this weekend. He's just letting me use your family as my sociology project."

Jules giggled. "Dad's so gonna kill him."

"Is your dad strict? He seems pretty laid back," Rosa began.

"He is laid back, usually. He's not afraid of our doing the normal teenagery things, like staying out late, he's just more concerned about the big-ticket issues."

"Like?"

"Pregnancy," she said, but seemed preoccupied immediately.

"Jules?" she asked, as she emerged from her stall. "You okay?"

"Yeah, I'm good," she said, now emerging herself.

"What about your mom?"

"What about her?"

"Is she strict?"

"Hard to be strict when you don't even call," she turned the water on full blast.

"So they don't have joint custody?" she nodded.

"No. Mom just sort of left, and we're with Dad all the time. This is the first time Mom's been back. Didn't Am tell you?"

"No," she shook her head. "I'm sorry, if this is too much right now," she hedged.

"It's fine," Jules smiled tightly. "Really. I mean, if nothing else, I'm happy to do it for Am. I know you say you're not dating, but I think he's really into you."

"Yeah, well," Rosa shook her head, but couldn't help but smile. "I'm sure I'm not the first girl he's been interested in."

"Well, you're the first girl he's ever talked about," Jules smiled. "At least, in a way that I didn't want to disown him."

"You two are close?"

"Yeah. I mean, we always have been, but when Mom and Dad were fighting … I don't know what I would have done without him around. He let me come in his room at night, when they thought we couldn't hear them—or just didn't care who heard them. I slept in his room lots of times. Before that I'd get the patented, 'Get the hell out of my room' yell, but he was like my protector the whole time."

"That's sweet," Rosa nodded.

"Yeah," Jules said as she finished drying her hands. "Need anything else?"

"No, I think that's good for now. Thanks, I really do appreciate it."

"No problem. Let's go make sure they haven't all killed each other," Jules held the door open for Rosa as they made their way back through the crowd of strangers to what should look like a family.

XXXX

Jess pulled Gwen away for a quiet moment as Erin did her best to spend some time talking with Ambrose. Jimmy was interjecting, however, making Ambrose laugh and Erin seethe.

"You're going above and beyond here," he kissed her.

"One big happy family, right?" she teased.

"That's what they say," he groaned.

"Speaking of family, my sister is getting in around one tomorrow, so I'm gonna pick her up at the airport, then we're gonna start the moving process. You sure you can get the time off?"

"Well, I can't have you lifting things, can I?" he smiled. "Besides, Jimmy is gonna help, while Erin takes Jules on some girly spree."

"Girly spree?" Gwen tried to tuck her lips together in efforts not to laugh at him.

"You know, they're hitting a spa to have things buffed and waxed, then they're doing a fancy lunch, to be followed by shopping," he made a face that constituted pain.

"Sounds hellish," she laughed.

"Where would you rather be?" he asked knowingly.

"Erin seems fine," she promised. "I mean, the kids are being kind of … cool to her."

"Try frigid," Jess sighed.

"Yeah. Well, how are you holding up?"

He took in all of Erin's remorse—but al he could really feel was sorry for her. "I think she's really getting that she acted in haste more than anything. I feel kind of bad for her—our kids really have learned to hold a grudge from the best around."

"I'm shocked, you? Hold a grudge?" she buried her head in his shoulder until he saw his daughter and the unknown factor that seemed to be making his son stand up straighter approach from the bathroom. He nudged her, and she turned to look as well.

"What is with this girl that Am brought home?" she asked.

"I have no idea. But she's probably going to ask you some questions, too."

"That's fine," she nodded. "I can handle being your 'other woman,'" she grabbed his hand. "Ready to go back into the trenches?"

"If you are, I have to be, right?" he asked, seemingly rhetorically.

"You know, this place better be worth the wait," she said as they rejoined the group. "Because I saw a street vendor outside just now, loading up a hot dog Chicago style, and I nearly dragged him out and ruined my appetite," she let on.

"Now, her, I like," Jimmy smirked at Jess, who hung his head at the whole ugly continuation of the Erin-Jimmy debate from their arrival.

"The food's good here," Jess managed.

"We used to come here all the time," Erin supplied. "The kids love it."

"I don't remember coming here," Jules said.

"Sure you do, you always get the manicotti," Erin supplied.

"I don't like manicotti," she wrinkled her nose.

"Yes, you do, how can you not remember?" she urged.

"I think I know what I like to eat," Jules gruffed.

"It's the stuffed shells you liked," Ambrose spoke up, clearing his throat.

"I could have sworn it was the manicotti," Erin shook her head.

"It's been a long time, you can't be expected to retain everything," he said, with more than a sheen of ice to his voice.

"You don't have to take that tone," she warned.

Rosa slipped her hand into Ambrose's suddenly feeling protective. "Neither do you," she spoke up.

"Okay, it's one thing to get into it with family, but don't be dragging innocent bystanders into it!" Jimmy stepped between the two. "If Sasha were here," he began.

"Oh, here we go," Erin rolled her eyes, looking at Jess for help, but he merely just pleaded for resistance with his eyes.

"She would say that we just have to find the silver lining to the situation and move on," he said louder, trying to override any snide comments that might be slipped in.

"This should at least be good," Jess whispered into Gwen's ear. "Do tell, Jimmy."

"As strained as things are, with all the weirdness," he gesticulated with his hands, fluttering up in the air, "things could be worse. Your mother could be here," he pointed at Jess.

"Here here," he said soberly.

"So," Jimmy cleared his throat after a prolonged pause. "I'm getting the feeling that the only safe topics tonight will be religion and politics. Who's with me?"


	43. Chapter 43

"I don't think you should be in here," Rosa said coyly as Ambrose leaned against his dresser.

"Trust me, no one will be coming out of that room tonight," he promised.

"Is that on or off the record?" she giggled.

"You tell me," he raised an eyebrow, his tone rather cryptic.

"Ambrose," she shook her head. "I didn't realize, when I asked you to do this for me, that this week would be so…," she searched for the right word.

"Hellish?"

"I was going to say tumultuous."

"Tomato, tomato," he shrugged. "It's not that big a deal."

"I wanted to smack your mother tonight," she admitted honestly. "And the urge just grew over dinner. I mean, I'm supposed to be staying unbiased here, so I can get all sides of this story," she shook her head.

"You're finding that difficult?" he asked, looking dead into her eyes.

"I'm sorry you've had to go through all this."

"Like my dad said, there are tons of people that have messed up families. Mine is just freshly torn up," he said, his jaw set in what she could only guess was preservation.

"Is it better now than it was?"

"Is this my interview?" he asked as she patted on the edge of the mattress.

"This is just me wondering how you are," she promised.

"I guess I just don't see why he doesn't hate her," he said quietly.

"Maybe he's just shielding his feelings from you and Jules," she offered.

He looked up at her and smiled. "Dad's not really good at the hiding the anger thing. This broke him," he nodded.

"But he was able to move on," she nodded.

"Yeah, and you think Mom's happy about that?" he said bitterly.

"Well, I'm no expert," she assured, "but from what I've seen so far, no matter what havoc your mom's being back has brought, the rest of you have really been there for each other."

He looked at her with questioning eyes. "How do you know that?"

"From what your sister said," she let on.

"And just what lies did she fill your head with?" he smirked.

"I'm afraid that would be breaking interviewer-interviewee confidentiality," she shook her head, her lips pursed as if under lock and key.

"Don't think I'm not equipped to extract information out of you," he warned.

"And here most boys threaten to shut me up," she teased.

"I can do that, too," he promised.

"She might have said something about you being the best big brother in the whole world," she said finally, after a moment of being caught between what he was alluding to and what she was willing to put herself on the line for.

"Now I know you're lying. Is that all?"

"Well," she tossed her hair back over her opposite shoulder. "She might have mentioned that you had it bad for me."

He smiled at her, taking in the grace of her features before nodding and standing up off the bed. "You have everything you need?"

"I think so," she moved the covers back to crawl under them.

"Hand me that pillow, I'll get you another," he held his hand out in wait.

She put her arm around the pillow protectively. "Can't you just use the other pillow?"

"Why?"

"Cause the new pillow is probably stored in a closet and will smell like mothballs or something equally unpleasant. This one smells like you," she admitted.

"Okay," his lips turned up in a plastered smirk. "I'll be out there on the couch if you need anything. Just follow the smell of mothballs."

"I will. Goodnight."

"Night."

He walked out of his own bedroom with a swell in his chest and a rush to his head. He'd have to wait up for Jules now, to see what they'd really discussed.

XXXX

"Kill me," Jess groaned as he fell into the bed.

"As easy as it might be for pregnant women to be acquitted of homicide, I still kind of like you too much to finish you off. Maybe after we've been married for a while," she poked at his shoulder.

"I can't take any more of this," he peeked up from the pillow. "That was horrible."

"I don't know," Gwen smiled. "I thought Jimmy was funny."

Another groan was ripped from Jess' throat as he buried his face back in the pillow. Gwen's hand went to his back, running lightly and soothingly over the expanse of his shoulder blade. After a moment of stillness her mouth bent down to the same spot.

"Wanna run away?" he mumbled into the pillow before turning to look at her again.

"You don't run from things," she shook her head sincerely.

"I used to," he sighed. "The urge is still there sometimes."

She was quiet for a moment as he wrapped his arm around her waist and rested his head against her chest. "Jess?"

"Yeah?"

His voice was weary to the point that she felt guilty even prodding on. "Was the urge there, with me and all that's going on?"

He propped his chin up on her breastbone and instantly she knew the answer as he gazed into her eyes. "No. It was the damnedest thing," he smiled mischievously.

She picked up a pillow from his side of the bed and smacked him with it. He wrenched it out of her hand and threw it off the side of the bed. "Oops. Guess you'll have to share now," he laughed. They wrestled around gently for a few moments as their giggles faded and their touches became more sensual.

"We're going to have to tell everyone everything soon," he whispered against her skin. "We're not good at hiding this."

"The kids know," she reached up to trace his cheek with her fingers.

"There are more people in our lives than the kids," he kissed her softly. "As discreet as we were, Erin really seemed shocked that you were getting ready for bed before they left," he pointed out. "Jimmy's patting me on the back and saying 'Atta boy,' didn't help either."

"We could hold a press conference," she started her giggles up again, but he put his hand over her mouth.

"I'll tell her tomorrow. Over lunch. We're meeting to iron some things out, or however she put it."

"Are you still going to be around to help us move?" she asked.

"Nothing's going take me away from you," he promised, his voice laced with want again

"Shh," she urged, bringing his head down to meet hers in efforts to bring a positive end to this stressful day.

XXXX

Ella stood with facing Pax after all the other boys had left for the night. It was late; long past even the most respectable night owl's bedtime.

"I'm sorry," he said.

"For what?"

"I really thought that we could suck it up, and there wouldn't be any weirdness," he nodded. "I guess talking it over really just doesn't do any good."

"It was a sweet idea, you were just thinking of me," she reached out for his hand. "I have to admit, it wasn't quite what I had expected."

"What did you expect?" he led.

"Well, after our date, I guess I was expecting something more… intimate."

"I see," he nodded. "Now I've gone and disappointed you on two fronts."

"Not disappointed. Just surprised, that's all."

He hung his head for a moment, but when he looked back up, he was smiling. "I guess I should get going."

"So soon?" her big eyes were fixated on him. "_We_ haven't really had a chance to talk," she bit her lip.

"Talk, huh?"

"Yes, talk. We have very important talking needs."

"I think we've talked this thing to death," he sighed, even as she tightened her grip on his hand and reached out for his other.

"I don't mean that kind of talking," she whispered. "I was thinking more of pillow talk."

"Ella," his voice deepened as his eyes went nearly black.

"I promise, if at any time you're not having fun, I'll let you go."

His lips were on hers before she could really even finish her statement, and he swallowed the rest of her words. She was in agreement; they had talked this to death. Talking would do them no good—it would not ease any of the frustration that was building or help either of them to be able to fall asleep tonight if he did leave her now. All that was left to do was follow her back into her bedroom. Logic just wouldn't be their friend tonight.

XXXX

Ambrose woke up the next morning, feeling as if something were missing. He sat up on the couch, his muscles sore from the restriction of movement and went over the events of last night to fill in the blank he was experiencing. Dinner and the talk with Rosa… And waiting up for Jules. He tossed the covers off his body and raced to her room. Her bed was made. His heartbeat quickened, so he closed her door and moved to his own. He slid the door open a crack to see Rosa still sleeping, and he dropped to his knees on the side of the bed. His hand on her shoulder roused her, as her brown eyes blinked to focus on him.

"Have you seen Jules?"

"What? No, why?"

"I don't think she came home last night," he let on. "Shit."

"Calm down. Are you sure," she whispered. At the look on his face, she began again. "Call her cell."

"We don't have cell phones."

"You what?" she asked, too loudly, causing him to clap a hand over her mouth.

"Dad doesn't believe in anyone under eighteen needing to be able to be reached anywhere they are. Something about preserving childhood and decreasing materialism."

"Okay, let's think; where do you think she'd be?"

A loud throat-clearing noise caused them both to look up. Jess was glaring at the sight of his son's head bowed toward the girl who had her hand on his arm.

"Dad," Am shook his head.

"Kitchen. Now."

"Honestly," Rosa began.

"Ambrose Fitzgerald Mariano," he announced, causing Rosa to look at Am's face with amusement and fear. "There are about three seconds left before I lose it. This is your choice, really."

Ambrose stood up and with clenched muscles through his whole body, he moved past his father, now tall enough to brush shoulders with him on his way through the door frame.

Jess looked to Rosa for a moment, and she smiled sheepishly. "Is Gwen free for a few questions?"

"She's in the bedroom, feel free," he said, rubbing his temples with both hands before turning and heading to find his son pacing on the linoleum floor.

"Why now?" Jess asked, relatively calmly. "Because I always figured if you really hated me, you'd save it up for a tell-all book in a few years. You know, after you moved out and weren't constantly at arm-swinging length."

"I had just gone in there," he swore. "I was looking for something."

"Oh, now, this should be stellar," Jess murmured. "That's the best you can do, that you were looking for something?"

"Yes," Ambrose said curtly.

"Care to expand? Or would you rather be discussing this when your mother shows up?"

"What?"

"When your mother shows up," he said slower.

"Mom's coming over?"

"No, she flew out here from California just to have the most uncomfortable dinner in the history of eating," he snarked. "She'll be here soon to get Jules."

"Jules?"

"Your sister," Jess said slower again. "What is with you? I know you probably aren't thinking with your brain right now, but come on."

"Stop!" he asked. "I was looking for Jules."

"In your room?"

"Well," he cringed.

"Why were you looking for Jules in your room?"

"Because she wasn't in hers?"

"Are you asking me?"

"Dad, calm down."

"You're telling me she isn't here? Like her bed looked slept in and you think she went out early this morning?" Jess hoped.

"Like her bed hadn't been slept in and I fell asleep waiting up for her, but she never showed."

"Damnit!" Jess yelled.

"It's okay, Dad, I'm sure," he started, but it was too late. Jess had finally found the point at which he could take no more.

"No, it's not okay, your mother will be here, probably in about ten minutes because she was always ridiculously early for everything, and I'm missing the one kid that was supposed to be here for her to come and get. But now your sister isn't here, which means not only don't I know where she is, but chances are she's still out on that date that I wasn't supposed to let her go on."

"Jules isn't dumb, Dad, I'm sure nothing happened," Am spoke evenly.

"Something has happened. She's stayed out all night with her boyfriend," Jess' face paled. "She'd be in trouble about this even if your mom wasn't here."

"So, what do we do now?" he asked, looking at his father with not a small amount of pity.

"We wait," Jess leaned back against the counter, his hands falling down to his side.

XXXX

"I really appreciate this," Rosa said as she sat down in the armchair by the corner window.

"No problem," Gwen assured her. "Fire when ready."

"So, how long had Jess been separated when he met you?"

"Not long," she said truthfully. "Erin had moved to California, but they were still deciding if they were going to try to work it out or not."

"That must have been awkward," she led.

"It was. But I'd been through something similar not to long before that, and we just decided to put things off and see what happened."

"Things didn't get serious right away?"

"No. We had dinner, then we didn't really have any contact for a couple of weeks. And when we did," she smiled.

"What?"

"We did our best to pretend that we could go slow and not really feel what we were feeling."

"How did you do that?"

"Poorly," she smirked. "Before I knew it, he introduced me to his kids and then," she put her hand on her stomach without thinking.

"Then?" Rosa prompted, her eyes instantly moving to follow the other woman's hand.

"Oh man," she breathed. "This is weird, we're not really telling people yet," she cringed. "The kids know, but no one else does, so this had to be between us," she said.

"You're pregnant?"

Gwen nodded, unable to contain her smile.

"Congratulations!" she beamed. "Wait, the kids know?"

Gwen nodded. "We just told them, two nights ago."

"Wow," Rosa muttered. "That's intense."

"Didn't know what you were walking into, huh?" she figured.

"No. Ambrose was a little skint on details."

"Your paper is going to be double the length you thought it was going to be?" Gwen asked knowingly.

"Something like that. So, overall, do you think that these things turn out for the best?" she asked her final question.

"I think that things are never going to happen when you want them to," she chose her words carefully, "but falling in love is something you just can't put on a timetable."

"Yeah, that lesson really likes to pummel one over the head, doesn't it?" Rosa asked with a sigh, leaving them sitting in silence for a moment until they heard Jess yelling, and they both jumped up to see what all the commotion was about.

XXXX

Tristan walked out to the stables, in search of his mother-in-law. He found her, after being turned in the right direction, accidentally, by the rudest man he'd ever met in real life, as she was trying to talk some common sense into the horse.

"Come on, just take the sugar cube. If you don't take the sugar cube, I'm going to have to get all concerned, and call Dr. Adelson, and then he'll have to give you a shot, and you won't be able to sit down—not that I've ever seen you sit, in fact, do you sit down?"

"What is he, Mr. Ed?" Tristan inquired.

"Ohmigod!" she whipped around suddenly, causing the sugar cube to fall to the ground. The other horse bent its head to pick it up. "Oh, no!" she groaned.

"Having a rough time?"

"I don't think Mr. Ed is feeling well," she stuck out her bottom lip as she patted his mane.

"You didn't seriously name him…." He broke off as she started giggling. "Of course," he rolled his eyes.

"You'd think that twenty years with my offspring would have taught you something about when to take things seriously," she shrugged.

"Mainly I've just learned really effective methods of shutting her up," he smirked, pleased with his effective response.

"Oh, it's a shame you can't stay longer," she said pointedly. "Where's Rory at? Bugging Michel?" she asked, proudly.

"She's at home," he took a few steps closer to pet the horse as well.

"You have some business in Hartford?"

"No, Stars Hollow," he let on.

"Look," she shook her head. "Whatever is going on with you and Rory with this whole moving thing, I've decided to stay out of it, and so far I would like to think I've been doing really well."

"No, that's not it," he shook his head as he walked over the hay-covered ground, shuffling his feet enough to make a path as he moved to sit on a hay bale. "I wanted to run an idea past you."

"Past me?"

He nodded. "Rory, try as she might, just isn't taking the idea of moving so well."

"She isn't a big changer," she nodded sympathetically. "But she loves you."

"I know. And I love her. I hate to take her away from New York, especially permanently, which I don't even know that this job will be."

"I thought you were being put in charge of a department?" she furrowed her brow.

"I am, but it's a small department and if I do well, I might get transferred again to a bigger one," he let onto his way of thinking.

"One, maybe, in New York?"

"Exactly."

"How long would that take?" she could feel joy rising up through her body at the thought this might be temporary.

"A year or so?" he shrugged.

"So, Rory must be thrilled," she smiled, still petting the horse.

"She doesn't know," he let on. "I don't want to get her hopes up."

"I'm lost," she shook her head and finally moved to sit next to him on the bale.

"Rory and I found a house. Jake is still in school, and we need something permanent for that reason alone. I want her to really give this a shot, and the only way she'll do that is if she thinks it's permanent. Besides, what if I can't get on in New York again quickly? I need this advancement, it's the next step in my career," he explained.

"Right. So, what's your idea?"

"Well, we have the house on the market," he rubbed the back of his neck, realizing still how warm it was outside as his hand glided over the skin. "And I want to tell her it got sold."

"You got an offer?"

"No. I'm going to have them take it off the market."

"Can you afford to do that?" she asked, never having pried into their financial situation. She knew they were well off enough to take nice vacations, pay for the best schools, but they didn't live a lavish life otherwise. It just wasn't who they were.

"Yeah," he dismissed the concern. "But if I do that, I'm going to need someone who can go and check on the house every now and then, keep it fairly clean, you know," he looked to her questioningly.

"You want me to help fool my daughter into thinking her dream house is being occupied by strangers?"

"It would mean so much to me," he promised. "And her, later, when we get to move back," he looked so hopeful.

"You think she's just going to let it drop when you tell her you've been keeping this from her since now?"

"No," he smiled. "But I'm pretty sure she'll get over it fairly fast."

"I'd be happy to help you out, whatever you need," she agreed, and he put his arms around her, hugging her hard. After a moment, he pulled back and they shared a look of uncertainty.

"It's just wrong unless there's a new baby in the room, huh?" she asked.

"Even then," he agreed. "Can I buy you lunch or something?"

"The least you can do," she stood up and brushed her skirt off. "Where does Rory think you are?"

"Tying up some loose ends," he answered honestly.

"Well, at least you're not lying _and_ scheming," she sighed.

"What about the horse?" he asked.

"Dr. Adelson will just have to come check him out," she said loudly, looking at the horse, who whinnied after them in protest.

XXXX

"What should I pack?" Anna asked, staring at her mostly empty suitcase.

"Probably more than underwear and books. Do you think you'll have a lot of spare reading time?" Will frowned.

"We won't spend every single moment together, will we?"

"Anna—it's a couples retreat, not a spa."

She let out a sigh and took the books out. "Down to just underwear."

"You should probably put some of the sexier stuff in there," he suggested.

"Who is going to be seeing my underwear?" she turned to face him, as a smirk covered his face.

"Me," he stepped closer. "And I really like that black, lacy pair," he stepped so close their bodies brushed.

"Maybe you should just pack for me," she offered, wanting the burden lifted off of her.

"Nice try," he kissed her cheek. "Just pack the necessities."

"You made me leave the books," she argued. "Those are necessities."

"Maybe we should just pack a padded wall covering and a couple of straight jackets," he suggested.

"I'm calling Mallory," she gave up.

"Why did you even ask my opinion?" he sat down on the bed.

"It's our homework," she reminded. "And I care about your opinions, even if I don't take them."

Before she could move away from the dresser, the phone rang, and Will reached the bedside easily to answer it.

"We can still get out of this, right?"

"Hey Dave," he looked to Anna knowingly. "And no."

"Mallory actually seems to want to go," he began his whine.

"What do you want me to tell you? Girls are freaks," he dodged Anna's hand as she attempted to smack his leg.

"Tell me about it. I went to pack condoms and she yelled at me, because she thinks that the walls will be too thin or something. This stupid thing is supposed to make us closer, yet she won't have sex with me?"

"Too much info, Dave," Will groaned.

"I'm just saying."

"Yeah, well, don't. Put Mal on the phone, Ann wants to talk to her."

"I say you and me, we sneak out and have a beer while they're in their women's group session."

"Women's group session?"

"Didn't you read the brochure? There's some male-bonding-beat-on-a-drum-and-cry time scheduled at the same time. You with me?"

"Totally. Go get Mal," he handed the phone off to Anna, who put it up to her ear as she waited.

"What?" she covered the mouthpiece as she looked at Will's concerned covered face.

"Did you read the brochure?" he asked.

She just shook her head as Mal appeared to come on the line, leaving him to get his own suitcase down and begin to pack his own belongings for what seemed like would be the longest five days of his life.

XXXX

By the time Jules unlocked her front door, her entire family was standing in the family room; all of them, seemingly, screaming at the same time.

"Where the hell have you been?" Jess asked.

"You know very well where she's been, Jess, and this is all your fault!" Erin yelled.

"I let her date, not stay out all night with her boyfriend. Is that where you were?" he demanded.

"Daddy," she began.

"Go to your room!" Erin cut her off. "You're grounded until you turn eighteen," she seethed.

"You're going to mandate that?" Ambrose asked, rolling his eyes.

"If I have to," she began. "If this family is just going to fall apart without me being around to make sure things like this don't happen…."

"Oh come off of it," Jess yelled. "This family isn't falling apart, it's one night of stupid teenage crap," he informed her.

"Maybe we should let the teenager pulling the stupid crap talk," Jimmy offered, giving his granddaughter a friendly smile.

"I was with Court," she lowered her eyes. "But nothing happened," she swore.

"Yeah, cause we believe that," Erin groaned. "You're going to end up pregnant if you keep down this road—we've got to get you on the pill."

"Oh my God," Ambrose said, clearly grossed out. "She's fifteen!"

"Well, your father has seen it in his authority to let her start dating and staying out all night, unless you were just too busy to notice she didn't come home!" she turned on Jess again.

"Watch it, Erin," he warned.

"You have women over to the house, how is it supposed to look to our kids? Of course they're going to start bringing people home, or staying out with their dates."

"I don't have women over," he gritted his teeth.

"Everyone just needs to calm down," Gwen suggested. "Jules isn't having sex."

"How would you know?" Erin yelled.

"Because I listen when she talks!" she defended, her voice also rising.

"Oh, and you're saying I don't? I'm not a good mother, is that it? Who are you to come in here and say these things?"

"I've been here, for Jess and the kids, the last few months, can you say the same?" she began to lose the cool exterior that she'd somehow managed until this exchange.

"Hey," Jess ran his hand over her back, willing her to calm down.

"I'm fine," she assured him, feeling the blood still pumping quickly through her veins.

"Still, it can't be good for," he cut off as he felt every single set of eyes on them.

Erin in particular was staring in disbelief; her eyes filled with tears as her mouth seemed ready to speak despite the fact no words filled it.

"Jimmy, can you take the kids out for a while?" Jess asked.

"Sure," he said slowly, opening the front door for them to file out of.

"What about…?" Jules began.

"We'll discuss it later," Jess assured her, his tone still firm.

Once they were all alone in a triad of tension, Jess gripped Gwen's hand. "I was going to tell you today over lunch," he promised.

"You got her pregnant? Is that why this is suddenly so serious?" Erin asked.

"Yes, and no," his eyes flashed. "She's right; she has been there for us since you left. She'd be moving in here if it weren't for the baby," he assured her.

"Do you even hear yourself?" Erin asked.

"Do you?" he asked. "This is a good thing for me, I'd think after all you put me through, you'd find it in yourself to be happy for us."

"So, the kids know?"

"Yeah."

"That's why they're acting like they are," she shook her head in realization.

"They're acting how they are because they're teenagers. They're fine with what's happening with Gwen and me."

"Like hell, Jess—you think it's just going to roll off their back, finding out that their Dad got his girlfriend pregnant, having a new baby come into the picture, having to change their lives to fit your mistakes?"

"They've been through worse," he reminded. "You think seeing me happy is harder for them to take than seeing me after you left?"

"Clearly that took you a very long time to get over," she spat out.

"Go to hell!"

Gwen had been watching the exchange heat up, seeing no love in the mix, only anger. She ached for him to return to the man she was used to seeing, hating that anything could make him so enraged.

"Maybe it's time you left," Gwen suggested to Erin.

"This conversation isn't over," Erin shook her head. "I want to see my kids, and you can't keep that from happening, Jess."

"No, but I don't have to help you do it, either, which by the way, I was prepared to do until I realized that you're never going to let anything go. You don't even have the right to mistrust me, Erin, I wasn't the one that left. I did everything I knew how to do to make things okay again."

"Maybe you just didn't want things to be okay again."

"Maybe," he admitted, his breath still coming heavier. He and Erin stared at one another in pain for an elongated beat before she turned and walked out of her home once again, alone.

Jess' arm slipped around Gwen's waist. "C'mere," he pulled her gently toward the bedroom.

"I'm fine," she promised, her hand holding onto his bicep firmly, supportively.

"I don't care, I still think you should lie down for a minute," he urged. "I'll lie down with you."

She nodded silently and did as he asked. Once he was curled up around her, he let out a jagged breath. "I'm sorry you had to see that."

"Closure is a bitch," she breathed, entwining their fingers over her stomach. "I don't ever want to be that way with you."

"I'm not that person with you," he promised. "I need you to know that."

"I do," she leaned into the kisses he was placing in her hair. "I do."

They lay in each other's arms, ensnared and lost in each other as they calmed down and found solace. This could only get better, he thought to himself. With her, there was something on the other side of pain—something that he'd never found in any other relationship in his life. And any amount of pain was worth getting to what they could create together.


	44. Chapter 44

Jake walked into his parents' bedroom to see his mother struggling to lift a taped box up off the floor. He watched as she groaned, grunted, strained, and finally fell backward with a shriek as the box lifted a quarter of an inch off the floor.

"You gotta lift with your legs, not your back."

Rory got up, rubbed her butt with one hand, and kicked the box. "Proving your relation to your father isn't necessary. You have his ears."

"So you want me to go?"

"This needs to go to the garage, and since your weight bench is being delivered to the new house next week you can practice by lifting this, He-Man."

"He-Man?" he inquired ignorantly.

"Skeletor?" she tried again, giving him more clues.

"What?"

"Orko? She-Ra?" she asked, her disbelief growing.

"I'm starting to worry about you, Mom," his eyes grew large.

"Just move the box," she commanded in resignation as she sat down on the edge of the bed.

Looking quite confident, Jake leaned down and lifted the box. Slowly and red-faced, but still, he got it up off the ground. Rory giggled.

"What's in here?" he asked as he made his way toward the stairs, her now following him to help 'guide' him. She shrugged despite his inability to see her.

"Just some books."

"I think you should be banned from packing. You can't cram a box this big full of books. I'm gonna get a hernia. Haven't you guys ever considered hiring professionals?"

"I was just thinking of you, how else will you be ready for jock tryouts?" she teased.

"You try out for the team, not to be a jock."

"My mistake," she handed him a soda now that he'd placed the box on the floor of the garage. "Then how does one become a jock?"

"This has to be a big deal?" he implored.

"I'm your mother—you're crossing personality lines; I'm curious, so sue me."

"Suing you would probably decrease my chances of you guys buying me my own car," he took a swig.

"Sports, cars, I'm guessing girls are next."

"Mom," he shifted his weight. "Is Dad coming back soon?"

"Your father is just as concerned about you as I am, even if he shows it in other ways. You're our baby, our straight-A bookworm," she led.

"My grades won't slip. Is it so wrong that I try something new?"

Rory wrapped her arms around her son, despite the fact he'd outgrown her years ago, and kissed the side of his head. "No."

"Mom, stop it," he struggled to be free of her. "No way will I get a date in Raleigh if anyone ever sees you doing that."

"You'd be so lucky to have such a good-looking woman on your arm," Tristan said from the still open doorway from the house into the garage.

"Loose ends tied?" Rory asked as she unhanded her son.

Tristan nodded. "What's going on here?"

"We need professionals. Mom is packing 100 pounds of books into single boxes."

Tristan smirked as Rory balked. "More like thirty!"

"Says the woman who couldn't even lift it," Jake said as he moved back into the house, leaving his parents alone.

"Well, at least certain fundamental things never change, huh?' she rested against him as he wrapped his hands now around her in greeting.

"Such as?"

"Our kids will always be embarrassed by us, and you'll always look like you're up to no good. Where did you say you were?"

"I didn't. But I did talk to the realtor. This house is now officially off the market."

"Oh," she pulled back a bit. "Wow, that's. . . ."

"A relief?" he supplied.

"Fast," she swallowed.

"Yeah, well," he pulled back as well to shove his hands in his pockets. "It's a great house."

"The best," she nodded, looking down for a moment. "Well, we should go finish packing. I'm only a quarter done with my books," she smiled playfully at the end.

He smiled to himself as she walked past him into the house, and he was instantly convinced he'd done the right thing.

XXXX

"So," Rosa snuck a look at Ambrose as they came up out of the subway. Her train left in an hour and a half, but they'd decided on leaving early after returning to an eerily silent apartment.

"I'm sorry," he sighed.

"No fair, that's my line," she nudged his arm with her shoulder.

"Why should you be sorry? Your family is normal."

She took in a sharp intake of air, as if amused. "Reserve such judgments 'til you meet them."

"'Til?" he couldn't hide the encouragement in his voice.

Rosa bit the inside of her cheek and attempted not to smile. "I meant if."

"Look, should we just settle this right now?" he stopped them in their tracks in the midst of the busy mid-day sidewalk traffic.

"Settle what?" she asked as if she had no idea as to what he spoke.

"If you're gonna crack and agree to go out with me."

She laughed. "Just how do you propose to 'settle' this? Clearly you're not taking my word for it," she shook her head.

"There's a psychic at the end of the next block. Loser buys lunch."

"What constitutes losing?" she smirked back.

"We have time to kill," he shrugged. "Besides, you're not afraid, are you?"

She stared at him for a beat before shaking her head. "I can't believe I'm agreeing to this."

"Just wait 'til I'm meeting your family," he said into her ear before leading the way toward the revelation of the future.

XXXX

"As weird as Jake has always been, this is the behavior you're concerned about?" Ella asked into the phone.

"I just wondered if you'd noticed a change," Rory sighed.

"This is the most normal thing he's ever done. Moving might be the thing that allows him to slip from the unfortunate to moderately cool category in the teenage hierarchy."

"Jake is already cool," Rory defended.

"Keep telling yourself that, Mom."

"Maybe not in a conventional way," she admitted.

"Are you even concerned about how I'm doing?"

"Yes! I was calling to nail down a time to meet on Saturday. We're leaving Jake with Luke and Lorelai."

"How about after lunch?"

"Well, I would hate to interrupt your sleep schedule," Rory mocked.

"No, I'll be up, I just sort of have plans."

"Plans? On Parents' Weekend?" Rory asked knowingly, sure this meant one boy was being focused on. She wasn't sure if she was happy or terrified of such news.

"Stop. It's not what you think."

"And what do I think?"

"I'm having lunch with my friends and their parents. You and Dad are invited, if you want, but," she extended the invitation begrudgingly.

"Which friends?"

"Rosa, Grey, Jasper, and Pax."

Silence fell between them for a beat before Rory laughed.

"This isn't funny!"

"No, no, it's very mature. You know, maybe it's best that I'm there."

"Why?" she asked warily.

"Well, when the two mothers realize you're stringing their sons along, I can distract them while you head for the hills and join the Witness Protection Program."

"Haha."

"Besides, Logan and his crowd are fun."

"You and Dad never hang out with the society set."

"No, but seeing their wives keep them in their places? Priceless."

"Fine. Be there. But you're both to be on best behavior. No bringing baby pictures or making out in public."

"Right back at you, kid. See you Saturday."

XXXX

Jess picked up the ringing phone before it could wake Gwen up. He cringed before answering—he had no clue as to what all was going on, save for the clock reading five minutes before noon and a strange, yet preferred, silence enveloped the apartment.

"Hello?"

"Do you still have those wireless ear buds?" Will asked without greeting.

"Like I'd have given up my own salvation?" he asked as he slipped out onto the fire escape.

"What would I have to promise to borrow those?"

"For how long?"

"Five days?"

Jess let out a low whistle. "Did I mention Erin and Jimmy are in town?"

"Mom has arranged for us to get into a couples' retreat, and I have to spend time there with Anna, Davey, and Mallory for five days while we endure male bonding sessions and exercises where I learn how to use 'I' statements."

Jess' mouth fell open slightly. "You want a bottle of vodka to go with the ear buds?"

"Alcohol is prohibited."

"Stop it. I might cry for you."

"Honest to God."

"Well, short of you convincing Jimmy and Erin to go back early, I'm good for now on favors. Maybe you can pay me back with interest in the form of babysitting later on."

"Babysitting?"

Jess realized suddenly the sporadic nature of their spreading of the good news. The sound of his mother's voice when she found out that Jimmy had known before her really wasn't pleasant in his head. He made a mental note to be in a public place when he told her. With the ear buds.

"Jess?"

"I was gonna tell you in person, we just found out."

"Wow. Congratulations."

"Thanks, man."

"Wait, Gwen's pregnant and Erin's there? How's that going?"

"Poorly. In fact, if you want me to run these up to you myself tonight, that can be arranged."

Will laughed, despite the edge in his cousin's voice. "That'd be great. But if anyone intercepts and asks…."

"Hearing aids," Jess supplied.

"You're the best. Put me on the baby-sitter register."

"Jess?" A groggy Gwen stood at the open window.

"Yeah?" he held the phone down away from his ear as he focused on her.

"Sari is going to be here soon."

"I'll be right in," he promised. "I gotta run. We're moving Gwen over today."

"Baby and moving in together. What're you, getting married, too?"

A slight pause was probably all the answer Will needed, but Jess cleared his throat and spoke. "Yeah. And we're not telling everyone yet, so…."

"Hey, I'm the guy bringing wireless ear buds for my I-pod to premarital counseling. Your secret's safe with me."

Jess laughed. "Thanks. I'll get those to you ASAP."

"You're my hero."

XXXX

Upon entering the narrow doorway, Rosa and Ambrose were submerged into near-total darkness compared to the mid-day sun that was blaring over the concrete outside. Scarves hung over any lamps that had been bothered to be turned on. They seemed to be the only two in the entire building, as they hear only the soft sound of an air conditioner buzzing in the background.

"I don't think anyone's here," he imparted quietly.

"These people are always hiding in the back," she tossed his concerns off as she ran her fingers over the large crystals that adorned a long side table.

"You've been to a psychic before?"

"There are only so many places to sneak out to during all-girl summer camps in upstate New York."

"You snuck out to go to a psychic? I thought you were supposed to go to bars."

"We were twelve," she rolled her eyes. "And all those freaky little towns have a local crazy psychic."

"And what did you learn at from the crazy lady?"

She turned to face him, her long raven hair flipping loosely over her shoulder. "That I'm going to be rich and famous, of course."

"You're already rich."

"Right. So famous is in the bag."

"Right," he shook his head, clearly amused.

"You don't think I'll be famous?" she put him on the spot.

"Do I look like I have a crystal ball?"

Her fingers now rubbed the fringe of an antique lampshade. "Then give me a gut-instinct."

His eyes widened at her insistence—and he dropped the sarcasm ball he thought they'd been tossing between them.

"I know I'll never forget you," he offered.

"So I have the horny teenage boy segment covered?"

He nearly winced at the shift from seriousness again. "If you need to convince people of your worthiness, I can become your stalker, if you like."

"How selfless of you."

"What particular talent of yours am I obsessing over, may I ask?"

Her eyes flashed, and he prepared for a full-blown B.S. answer. Instead a deep, if strangely feminine, raspy voice beckoned from behind a beaded partition.

"I'm ready for you two now."

"How did she know we wanted to be read together, let alone that we were here?" he whispered.

"Duh. She's psychic," she deadpanned as he held the beads apart for her to pass through.

They sat across a small table, also seemingly covered in large shawls and scarves that held only a large, musky-smelling candle, from the woman.

"Write down what you want to know, fold the paper vertically in half, then lay it down on the table. Do not speak," came the instruction. Ambrose looked to Rosa as she picked up her pen and smiled. The psychic, whom he'd noticed from a small sign in the front of the shop called herself Madame Rita, cleared her throat but not the bored look off her face.

After they'd placed their questions on the table, Madame Rita caught the bottom right-hand edge of both papers on fire using the candle flame and tossed them into an ancient-looking coffee can to let them fall to ashes.

Discussing the possibility of her being a crazy, if not dangerous, quack seemed to be in poor taste, so instead they offered up their hands palm-side up when asked to do so. Ambrose bit the skin under his lip to keep quiet as they sat in this circle holding hands. Any cracks about contacting Elvis or Sid Vicious would probably also fall into the poor taste realm.

"This is new," Rita announced. "There is distance—not to mention hesitation."

Rosa nodded, but Ambrose just stared on. "Do you see anything else?"

"Pain," she frowned. "Youthful notions causing quite a bit of pain."

He closed his eyes, taking on the blame.

"No Honey," she squeezed his hand. "Her. Putting the desires of one's heart for another day is the greatest of our sins."

"What about me?" he asked to allow Rosa's stunned visage some recoup time.

"Overzealousness isn't a sin—merely an irritant."

"Can I get that in writing?" he asked, the smartass in him unable to be denied fully.

"You'd both benefit from walking in each other's shoes, though I see you've begun the effort. You will learn a great deal from each other."

"As friends?" he asked as Rosa's digestive process seemed to be consumed with all the prior information they'd been fed.

"You are too concerned," she informed Ambrose before turning to gaze onto Rosa. "And you are nowhere near concerned enough."

With that, she let go of their hands and stood up. "Double rate, thirty clams."

Am pulled out his wallet and paid before Rosa even blinked to notice he was standing and pulling her chair out for her. Once back out on the bright city street, he spoke.

"So, who won?"

She turned to him. "What was your question?"

"Come on, Shell Shock, let me buy you a hotdog."

XXXX

"This is a surprise," Jasper smiled broadly at his brunette visitor.

"Can we take a walk?" Ella asked, looking solely at him, not even glancing into the front room.

"He's not here," he supplied.

"No, I know," she said without thinking of the ramifications of her knowledge. "I was going to buy you some coffee."

Jasper shook his head, doing his best to appear stern. "Absolutely not. I refuse to allow a woman to do the treating. But I'd love to buy you some coffee."

Ella stared at him. "I don't know if I should be insulted or ready to strap on an apron."

"Ah, the burdens of the post-feminist generation. Though most of us aren't referring to aprons when we mention strapping things on."

She smiled and grabbed his hand to lead him out the door. "At least you won't talk about strap-ons in front of your folks this weekend," she seemed to be assuring herself as she fought a blush.

"I hate to tell you, but if I've ever offended your sensibilities, please remain outside a fifteen-mile radius of my father. Especially when my mum's not around."

"Speaking of parents, I wanted to let you know that I invited mine to lunch Saturday. Rosa said I should."

"Excellent. They mentioned they knew Uncle Logan. It'll be like a big reunion."

"I didn't know if it'd be weirder… at first I wasn't even going to come myself."

"Why not?" He wrinkled his brow as they stopped at the end of the smallish coffee line.

"You know why not—your mothers are going to have me expelled from campus for stringing you two along," she lowered her head but maintained eye contact through her eyelashes.

Jasper shook his head and planted his palms over her exposed shoulders. "Firstly, our mothers never attended this school—the worst they'd do academically is ensure your inability to transfer to the crimson-colored glory of Harvard."

Ella frowned and smiled at the same time, causing him to laugh.

"I didn't realize inter-species marriages were allowed," she joked.

"It's why we're all such unique breeds," he nodded.

"I thought your coat was extra shiny," she ran a hand through his hair.

"Secondly, you aren't stringing us on, are you?" his eyes grew serious in wait.

"No," she shook her head and was glad of the brief break ordering provided. Once they'd received their iced versions of what would warm them come winter, they kept wandering through campus. "It's not exactly an easy decision to make, you know."

"If he weren't my best friend, I'd delight in disagreeing with you," he sighed. "Perhaps time away from both of us?"

"No good. Maybe if I set a deadline?" she counter offered.

Jasper tsked. "Thus adding to the inevitable procrastination and addition of some sort of freaky grace period? No good."

She nodded. "I see your point. We could move to Utah and make it so I never have to choose."

"That's polygyny—Mormons are known for polygamy. The three of us would have to move to a hut in the African safari somewhere."

"You have an Irish coffee?" she smirked at his fact-pulling.

"I'm just as brilliant stone-cold sober, baby."

"Don't remind me," she smiled up into his piercing eyes, leaving him no option but to kiss her. She leaned into him, lingering despite the semi-public location of the outdoor courtyard.

"So, you don't want to marry both of us," he kissed her hair. "I can accept that."

"I should just set a deadline," she nodded with finality.

"Bad idea," he advised. "Rosa's coming home tonight?"

Ella nodded. "So?"

"Use her—talk about it with someone that isn't us. Talk to your mom if that helps, over the weekend. Be free to rant and rave and whatever you girls do, to see who you talk about more, I don't know. Just don't rush into this because you're afraid of hurting one of us. We're big boys."

"Couldn't one of you be a jackass or something?"

He smiled. "I'll work on that."

"Well, I'd appreciate it," she smiled back, giving him yet another kiss.

XXXX

Jess stood back as the two women embraced. Sari leaned back and gave her sister a once over with an eagle eye.

"You've gotten yourself knocked up?"

Gwen rolled her eyes as Jess gaped. "How'd you…?"

"She's got ESP, but she won't admit it."

"ESP is a bunch of hokey bunk. It's not hard to read people if you use more than one brain cell at a time. You must be Jess," she stuck out her hand.

"Yeah," he returned the gesture.

"Are you up to lifting things? You haven't gotten enough rest lately," Sari stared at him.

Jess looked again to Gwen. "Did I mention she thinks she's my mother?"

"Someone has to be," she dismissed. "Okay, we just need a plan. Are we it?"

Jess nodded. "For now. My son might come back after he sulks a bit."

Gwen smiled. "Rosa's leaving already?"

"Girlfriend?" Sari asked.

"No," came the unified answer.

"Sure," she laughed. "Leave a note for Casanova and let's get going. We're burning daylight and Miss Knocked Up Out of Wedlock can't lift more than a pair of shoes."

As Sari headed for the door, Jess shuddered. "I'm having flashbacks."

"Of?" Gwen smirked.

"You don't even want to know."

XXXX

Two hotdogs and one long walk later, Rosa finally reached her train platform and the stalling began. They were already allowing passengers to board, but she stood off a bit, looking around.

"I asked what it was going to take," Am said, looking just over Rosa's shoulder, clearly just as willing to draw out this goodbye as she was.

"Time," she answered simply.

"That sounded like some sort of cosmic no-no," he shifted his eyes to trap hers. "In fact, she seemed to agree with my viewpoint."

"What kind of psychic calls herself Rita, anyway?" she dismissed as she attempted her hand at diversion.

"You believed Ms. Rich and Famous," he pointed out.

"She had a cool name."

"Sure," he chuckled.

By now they were just facing one another, grinning like idiots while everyone around them fell into embraces and kissed their goodbyes.

"Esmeralda is way cooler than Rita."

"Given. But on the believability factor," he tsked. "Tell me something."

"Yeah?"

"What'd my mom say in her interview?"

"Maybe you'd like a copy of my finished paper. You deserve the rounded view, not just a crappy version of he said, she said."

"You mean your view."

"Is that so bad?"

He shrugged. "What about me—you never interviewed me."

Rosa smiled. "I didn't need to."

The five-minute boarding warning sounded, adding a time crunch to the conversation neither one of them was really ready to finish.

"So, you'll mail me a copy?"

She giggled. "That's so retro. Tell me you have email."

"Well, yeah. Dad feels you can ignore the potential urgency of email, thereby making it preferable even to home phones."

"Shocking. Here," she took a Sharpie out of her bag and began to scrawl a long email address up his arm.

"Send me a test email—no dirty pictures of yourself," she smirked.

"I have something you might like, I'm sure. You should go," he nodded to the train that the porter was helping last minute passengers onto.

She nodded, but stood looking at him a moment longer. Before he could register her movement, her arms slid around his waist and she tipped up on her toes to kiss his cheek. He pulled her into a tighter hug.

"You'll be in contact?" she whispered.

"Time I have," he answered.

She was smiling with bright eyes as she boarded the train, leaving with much more than she'd anticipated finding on this trip.

XXXX

"Hide," Jimmy instructed as Am fell onto the couch next to him.

"Why?"

"Your dad left a note about helping move Gwen."

He shrugged. "Why not."

"You look like shit."

"Thanks."

"It's the girl?"

Am turned his head to look at his grandfather. "This is your first guess? My abandoner of a mother is here, my dad knocked up his girlfriend, and my sister is turning herself into a juvenile delinquent."

Jimmy shook his head. "I still vote for the very pretty college girl."

Am nodded. "Well, fine."

"She likes you."

"She tolerates me."

"She's really good at it," he nodded as the smirk formed.

"Ever have a girl refuse to date you?"

"Only the smart ones."

Ambrose sighed.

"I'm serious. You ever been satisfied with anyone you had to put zero effort into getting?"

"No," he replied honestly.

"Exactly. Things that are too easy, it's for a reason. Ask your dad, he'd back me up on that."

"Hell's gonna be frosty tonight, then," he raised his eyebrows.

"Sasha wouldn't date me at first, you know."

"Why not?" Am smiled, sure this would be a great story. These two, if nothing else, won the weirdest and best suited couple he'd ever known.

"Because I was a 'directionless loser,'" he clearly quoted.

"And how'd you get her to go out with you?"

Jimmy grinned. "I agreed with her. Then I told her I was too dumb to stop asking until she agreed to one date."

"And she realized she liked you on the first date," he supplied knowingly.

Jimmy frowned. "What did I say about too easy? No, I pretty much kept the same line of logic going after each date, until one morning she woke up at my house and realized she hadn't gone home, and she looks at me and says, 'clearly you need me.' She moved in and started collecting stray dogs to prove a point."

Ambrose laughed. "I'm hoping to take a slightly different tack here. No offense."

"None taken. Persevere. It's in your blood," he clapped him on his back.

"Please stop dispensing dating advice to impressionable minds," Jess sat three boxes down in the living room.

"He says you'd agree with him."

"Yeah, well, he once told me tofu tasted like chicken. Are we still talking? The boxes aren't gonna grow wings," he gruffed as the passed back out into the hallway to go retrieve more boxes.


	45. Chapter 45

Gwen opened the door early the next morning. She wasn't quite used to being awoken every couple of hours to use the bathroom, but nonetheless, she was up at 6:30 in the morning, and despite having laid back down to attempt getting more rest, it'd been a failed effort. So it was her and her alone left to answer the door at nearly seven that morning.

She just hadn't really been expecting her fiancé's ex-wife on the other side of the door. After her last appearance and outburst, Gwen truly thought that separate, neutral meeting points would be decided upon for her to see the kids and nothing more.

"Hi," Erin bit her lip. "Is Jess around?"

"He's still sleeping—they all are."

"You're an early riser?" Erin nodded.

"Not normally, but lately," she put her hand to her stomach and made slow circles.

"How far along are you?" the woman standing before her asked with interest of one mother to another.

Gwen was more surprised at the pleasant conversation they seemed to be engaging in. "Six weeks."

"Just wait," Erin spoke from experience. "I thought I was going to have to live in the bathroom during my ninth month when I was pregnant with Ambrose. He shifted and bounced on my bladder the entire last four weeks."

"Something to look forward to," Gwen laughed. "Can I get you some tea?"

"That'd be nice," she nodded, coming into the front room, which was freshly littered with boxes and random pieces of furniture. "So, you're all moved in?"

"Oh, well, mostly," she shrugged. "I have 'til the end of the month. But since we both had completely filled apartments," she cringed as she looked around at the crammed space that had been the dining room. "We were thinking of looking for a bigger place."

Erin didn't speak, just took a seat at the counter in the kitchen.

"But we don't have to talk about that," Gwen said quickly. "How much longer are you guys going to be in town?"

"We're leaving tonight."

"So soon? I thought it was longer."

"Well," Erin sighed. "We actually got open-ended tickets. I was hoping things would go differently, but…."

Gwen sat the teapot on the burner and cranked up the heat before turning to face the other woman. "Can I say something?"

"I think I deserve whatever you want to say," Erin said quietly.

"You guys raised two really great kids. But even really great kids are going to have a hard time dealing with seeing their parents divorce, especially in the manner that you and Jess did."

"I know that, it's just hard to see them," she began.

"You have to cut them some slack," Gwen cut in.

Erin nodded. "I know. Is there any way I could convince you to get Jess up for me? I really need to talk to him."

"Well, I guess I could try. I don't promise coherency," she smiled.

"Yeah. It's not his strong suit in the morning."

Gwen giggled in agreement before she moved down the hall to awaken Jess.

XXXX

Rosa came out of her room to find Ella sitting on the couch, flipping through a book.

"I didn't hear you come in," Rosa said as she sat down next to her already dressed friend.

"I was out with Jasper," she smiled.

"Really?"

"As if this is bigger news than your weekend with Jail Bait," Ella rearranged to sit with one foot tucked under her. "So, did you corrupt young Ambrose?"

"Don't be gross," Rosa grimaced at her friend's insinuations. "We're just friends."

"How friendly?" Ella pushed.

"I went for a project, I got what I needed, I came home. End of story."

"So, you're saying all you did was interview Uncle Jess and Jules and come back?"

"And a few others, but pretty much, yeah."

"And where did you sleep?"

Rosa remained quiet for a moment. "Why are you up so early?"

"Where did you sleep?" she repeated, not ready to let the subject drop.

"In his bed," she admitted, a rare blush coloring her cheeks. "Shut up."

"I said nothing."

"You didn't have to. He slept on the couch."

"No, I'm sure he did," Ella held up her hands, still smiling broadly.

"What?" Rosa shook her head, smiling despite herself.

"It's just, you could have afforded to sleep in a hotel, a very nice hotel, but instead you slept in his bed," Ella led to her point, which she left for the moment unspoken.

"So?"

"So, even if you're alone, sleeping in someone else's bed, it's kind of intimate. It's the kind of thing that," she stopped herself.

"I can't date him."

Ella put her hand on her friend's shoulder. "Why not? He's not as vile as I make him out to be," she joked.

"I know that," Rosa said seriously. "He's too young, and it wouldn't work with all the things going against it. I don't want to do that to him—I like him."

"I can tell."

"I should get to work on my paper," she said.

"Rosa," she stopped her before she moved past the couch.

"Yeah?"

"Is it really just the age thing?"

Rosa fidgeted for a moment, pulling at the hem of her nightshirt. "I've tried the long distance thing before. It just doesn't work out."

Ella said nothing, just nodded and watched as her clearly troubled friend disappeared back into her bedroom, officially to work, but she had to wonder. She didn't know what was worse—her own inability to let a boy down or Rosa's inability to let a boy in.

She was still pondering this very question when a knock came to her door—bringing a smile to her face. She opened the door to find Pax standing on the opposite side, looking quite disheveled as if he'd been up all night. He was wearing jeans and a simple t-shirt, and he had dark circles under his eyes.

"You okay?" she asked, reaching out for his arm.

He pulled himself out of her reach. "I'm fine. I need to talk to you."

"Oh, sure," she motioned for him to come into the comfort of air conditioning, and out of the heat of the early morning. He made it as far as the middle of the suite before turning to face her again.

"I've been up all night," he admitted.

"I can tell," she commented.

"I've been doing some thinking," he didn't meet her eyes as he spoke, nor would he as he continued. "I'm not ready for all of this. I don't think we should see each other anymore."

"What?" shock fell over her body, as if halting her entire system before jolting it back for a reboot.

"I don't know what you've been thinking as far as whom you'd rather be with," he admitted, "but if it was me, then that would mean that you wanted some kind of a commitment, and I don't want you thinking that's what I'm offering. Not to mention I haven't been able to speak to my best friend for the last two weeks—it's easier this way."

"Pax," she reached out, this time him having not choice to let her touch him. "This doesn't make any sense. Last time I saw you," she began.

"I said that talking would do us no good. I knew then," he closed his eyes, too close to look anywhere but at her.

"You knew then? And still you stayed all night? You let me think," she grew angry as he remained as stoic as possible. "Get out."

"Ella," he said calmly.

"No, get out, now," she shook with the urge not to cry in front of him.

"This is for the best," he reasoned. "I knew if it went on any longer, we wouldn't be able to stay friends," he began.

"Too late. Just leave. Please?"

He nodded and turned his back, leaving her to let the swell of his tidal wave submerge her. By the time Rosa came back out for a drink, she found Ella curled up in a ball on the couch, tears falling profusely. She immediately went and put her arms around her, not even asking what had happened. She knew at some point someone was bound to get hurt. She just had no idea on what kind of scale this would all go down.

XXXX

"If you've come by to check that each child is alone in their respective bed, go ahead. But then you get to leave and stop second-guessing my parental decisions."

"I realize I pushed you too far, Jess," Erin said with a level of sincerity in her voice. "I didn't come here to fight."

"You sure?" he kept his defenses up.

"Even though it's what we're best at," she gave a small smile.

"Look, Erin," he shook his head.

"I came to apologize. And to ask your help," she looked up at him imploringly.

"My help?" he nodded.

"With the kids. I'm leaving tonight, and I wanted to sit down with them, and apologize for putting them through all this—for putting you through all this."

"I don't think," he bit his lip, holding in the urge to argue that had become so engrained in him while talking to this woman.

"Please. I realize I screwed up; I realize that you're doing just fine here without me, and I realize nothing I do can change any of this. But I think it might not be too late to apologize to them."

Jess let out a long breath. "Talk to them together. Do not get defensive. I can't pick up the pieces of those kids any more, Erin. I will, because I'm their father, and I'm the one that's here when you leave, but so help me, the second they're asleep, I'll come for you, and I will be defensive."

She nodded. "Fair enough. Have them ready to go around noon? My flight is taking off at six, that gives me a couple of hours with them."

Jess nodded. "I'll do my best."

She nodded. "I know."

He came out into the kitchen after shutting the door behind Erin, and Gwen smiled at him.

"I ever tell you you're the best?"

Jess got a look of mischief on his face, and grabbed her hand, pulling her along gently back toward the bedroom. "How about you tell me over and over and over…"

"Jess," she admonished into his shoulder. "The kids are in bed."

"Now is the perfect time for you to learn the first rule of parenting," he kissed her neck, "take any and all advantage of the time your kids spend alone in their rooms to spend time alone in your room," he kissed her lips, not allowing her response time until they got behind the confines of their room.

"Teach me all your ways," she giggled as he shook his head and pulled the covers up over them.

XXXX

"Are you excited?" Anna asked as she came into the diner, where Will was helping out by bussing tables during the early lunch rush.

"If I say no, is the engagement off?"

"Yes," she teased him.

"Totally excited. Can't wait for the retreating to begin."

"I'm kind of nervous," she admitted as she slid onto a stool, taking the cup full of coffee he was sliding in front of her.

"Why? All therapists side with the woman. It's me that will have the personality beaten out of me," he joked.

"Then the engagement would be off," she said seriously. "You think I want you to change?"

"Can we," he pointed to the stairs, and she nodded. She followed him through the partition and they sat halfway up the wooden staircase that led to Luke's old apartment.

"Usually when a couple needs to get therapy to see if they're compatible, it means the woman wants the man to change," he said.

"Well, luckily for us, we aren't a usual couple," she smiled, putting her arm around his leg as they sat at weird angles on the steps. "I never want you to change—you're the perfect guy."

"Not so perfect," he admitted.

"My problems with relationships, they aren't about you," she promised. "You have to know that," her hand stroked the underneath side of his thigh through his jeans.

"I know, Baby," he leaned his head down on her head, burying his face in her hair. "I don't know how to make it better, and I the last time I didn't know how to give someone what they needed," his voice was growing ragged.

"The retreat isn't going to make us ready for marriage, it's just going to help us learn skills that might be helpful along the way. I know I want to marry you, and nothing is going to keep me from doing that," she promised.

"You're sure about that?" he asked, looking now into her eyes.

"I've always been sure of that. It just took me a while to realize it," she smiled.

"Marry me."

"Will?" she looked on in only partial confusion. She knew what he was asking, despite the fact he'd already asked.

"We don't have to meet Dave and Mal 'til six a.m. tomorrow, that gives us plenty of time to cross state lines and find a judge," he mapped out his plan.

"This is crazy," she smiled as he gripped her hands.

"I know. Has that ever stopped us before?"

The old twinkle in his eyes was back. In an instant she saw at once her best friend, her partner in crime, and the man she knew she'd love for the rest of her life. She let out an exhilarated groan, shaking her head as she laughed.

"Let's go."

XXXX

Billy was flipping through the channels, finding nothing of interest, but unable to stop the search. If he'd even heard anyone else come home, it didn't change his endless vague flipping in the least.

He barely even looked up when his mom came through, blocking his view of nothing in particular. But when she began messing with the DVD player and the screen turned black then to blue.

"Mom, do you know what the whole point of having a day off with nothing to do is?"

"Hmm?" she turned and moved to sit next to him, before jumping up again and hurrying toward the kitchen. "I'll be back, I forgot the popcorn!"

"Mom, I don't want to watch some sappy girl movie, I want to flip endlessly and land on an infomercial," he sighed.

"I have something better," she assured him, as the opening credits to _Will and Grace_ began to play through their living room. "Your father wanted to be here to watch with us, just so you know, but he was stuck in the greenhouse."

He failed to ask if she was speaking literally or not—this particular situation had gone both ways in the past. "He wanted to be here to watch _Will and Grace_?"

"Would you prefer _Soap_?"

"I would prefer infomercials and sane parents," he began.

"You mean like, late night infomercials?" she said suggestively.

"Are you on some kind of medication?" he asked, shaking his head at the popcorn she offered.

She sighed. "Let's just watch and enjoy the time together. I never get to see you anymore."

"You want me to quit school or work?" he offered.

"I'm just saying that I so rarely get to see you and hang out with you. We could do something else, if you like. Shopping maybe?"

"Are you trying to punish me?" he asked as she mentioned his least favorite activity of all time.

"Or we could listen to music?" she tried, "Some Billie Holliday, oooh—Cher?"

"If you ever say, 'ooh, Cher!' again, I'm turning you into Child Protective Services," he warned.

"Then what do you want to do?" she gave up.

"Sit and watch infomercials. How was that not clear?"

"Fine," she said, turning off the DVD player and letting him land on a random channel. By the fifth one, she sat up and pointed. "The new slicer/dicer/griller! I have to have one of those!"

Billy just sighed and relinquished his control of the remote to his nutty mother, wishing for once not to have nothing better to do than hang out at home.

XXXX

Jess opened the door with near silence—his sneaking in skills never lost from his own teenage days. By the time Jules woke up, he was sitting on the edge of her bed. Her eyes went wide with surprise.

"We need to get you a bell," she fell back against her pillows.

"That's not the first time I've heard that," he nodded. "Come on, stay awake."

"It's early," she whined.

"It's almost noon," he pointed out. "And your mom will be here soon to get you guys."

"No," she sat up again, shaking her head. "Forget it."

"Might I remind you," he spoke in his voice of authority, "that you haven't yet been punished for the act of grand stupidity you pulled the other night?"

Her mouth opened and shut again. She knew it had to be coming, and though she hadn't been given the opportunity to speak her part of it, she knew she was busted.

"And she is your mother. She is leaving tonight, and she wants one more opportunity to talk to you two. Just the three of you. So you two will leave the attitudes here, go out with her, and listen."

"Is that an order?"

"You know that's not how I work," he sighed. "She's your mom. You only get one of those. Screwing it up, as glamorous as I've made it look, really isn't all it's cracked up to be."

"It's not your fault you don't get along with Grandma Liz," she pointed out.

"Yeah, and right now it's not your fault you and Erin are on the rocks," he sighed. "But if you hold this grudge, as good a grudge as it is," he smiled.

"I get it," she nodded. "I am sorry, Daddy," she said quietly.

"I know," he allowed her to curl up against him and hug to his chest. "Just, don't ever do it again? It ages me."

A soft giggle came from the vicinity of where her mouth was buried in his t-shirt. "Nothing happened."

"I'm the king of nothing happened. Get dressed. Erin'll be here soon."

Jules sat back and nodded. "Do I really get Am with me?"

"Against my better judgment, yes, I'm sending you both into the trenches together. I say again, go easy on her."

Jules promised by crossing her finger over her heart and watched as her father left her in peace by shutting the door behind him.

XXXX

An hour and a very quiet cab ride later, Jules and Ambrose sat across the table from Erin at their favorite local coffee shop. Jess went there frequently to get work done, and the kids liked to go there as a hold over from their youth, when he'd bring them in with him and let the waitresses fawn over them—feeding them free ice cream sundaes while he edited in relative silence. It was Jess that had suggested she bring them there, and if all hell broke loose, to order the ice cream sundaes.

"I know this isn't the first place you'd want to be," she started as they looked over their menus aimlessly. "At least, not with me."

Ambrose opened his mouth, but Jules pinched him under the table. "We're here, aren't we?" she supplied.

"At your father's coercion, I'm guessing," she smiled. "He's been wonderful, hasn't he?" she asked seriously.

"He always has been," Jules protected. "Why did you do it, Mom? Isn't that what we're here to discuss?"

Erin nodded. "I don't expect you two to understand. It had nothing to do with you, or your father—I just had to do something for me. I know it sounds selfish, and I know it was wrong."

Ambrose cleared his throat. "So, you're not happy, now?" he asked quietly.

Erin looked up in surprise. "Oh, well, I don't know. Lonely, I guess. I do like my job, but I miss you guys. A lot."

"We never went anywhere," Jules said.

"I know, but after I realized what I'd done, and I saw how angry you were, I wanted to give you time," she took a shaky breath. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have done any of this to you, not the way I did it, anyhow. I wanted you both to know I was sorry."

The two looked at each other, admittedly hating to see their own mother with her defenses so low.

"I know it might be too little too late, but I was hoping that maybe we could start talking more. Really talking, not like the phone calls that were happening before," she acknowledged the horror of the stand-off they'd been in before where only resentment and guilt had collided.

"Does that mean you're moving back?" Ambrose asked. "You can't expect us to be shuttled between here and California."

"I don't expect that. I don't know about moving—I will admit I've thought about it. But I could come out here more often, to see you, if you like."

Jules shrugged. "That might not be so bad."

"Really?" Erin held her breath. "Both of you?"

Ambrose tilted his head. "Both of us."

Erin couldn't contain her smile. "I know everything isn't fixed, but you don't know how happy you've made me. Now, if I could ask you for one more favor," she took a deep breath. "I want to do something nice for your dad. This has to be between the three of us," she said conspiratorially, capturing their attention immediately.

XXXX

Lorelai got out of her car, trying her best to balance her bag of food and the work she'd brought home from the Inn as she spoke on her cell. She cried out as she dropped the bag of food, luckily stapled shut, on the ground.

"You okay?" Sookie asked.

"Bruised garlic chicken is still garlic chicken," she pouted. "Go on, you were telling me about your son not taking the gay man bait?"

"Why won't he just tell me he's gay? It's all I'm asking for! Is that too much?"

"You want him to be gay? Is it the new hip thing, to have a gay son?"

"This isn't about me! This is about him! He's hiding something!"

"Why don't you just let him tell you whatever it is?"

"Lorelai, when my kids wait to tell me what happened, usually there is a call to the fire department involved."

"That's when they were younger—I highly doubt he has a broken leg, or a stranded cat, or a small fire in his room going without your knowledge. This has been going on for quite some time, right?"

"Yes. So if he's not gay, what's wrong with him?"

Lorelai opened her front door to see a curled up, petite form under a mound of blankets on her couch. There was an open container of ice cream on the coffee table and the distinct sound of sobs emanating from under the blanket.

"I gotta go. I'll call you later," she dropped her phone into her purse and put the Chinese food down next to the ice cream. In an instant her arms sought out the girl underneath the blankets.

"Els?"

"Gramma?" she sniffed, her eyes rimmed with red.

"What happened? Is your Mom okay?"

"She's f-fine," she nodded.

"Trouble with school?" she hoped.

"N-no," she shook her head and began crying harder.

"Aw, hon, you need more ice cream?" she nodded.

"N-no," she wrapped her arms around her grandmother's neck.

"Boys?" she guessed correctly.

"I'm never dating again!" she sobbed, letting her grandmother soothe her.

"Sure you will, honey," she promised. "Just under, what I hope to be, better circumstances. What happened?"

Ella took a deep breath and began her sordid tale, right up to the point of Pax telling her he didn't want to see her anymore.

"So, you wanted to be with Pax?" Lorelai guessed.

"I don't know," she shrugged tearfully. "But it doesn't matter now! It's only a matter of time before Jasper tells me the same thing! I had to get out of there! I couldn't face him dumping me, too," she blew her nose on the tissue Lorelai provided. "Can I stay here, just for tonight?"

"Sure, honey. I'm just gonna call your mom, so she doesn't worry if she tries to get you, okay? Then I'll order a pizza."

"But you have Chinese, oh, I ruined your night!"

"No, no, no! Are you kidding? Nothing goes better with Chinese than pizza! And I was going to be all alone, Luke's closing. Just lay back, have some ice cream, and I'll be ten minutes, okay?"

Ella nodded, pulled the ice cream into her lap, and sniffed. "Okay."

"Okay," Lorelai smiled and kissed her on top of her head. "That's my girl," she soothed as she took her leave into the kitchen.

XXXX

Pax came back through his front door after having roamed around campus with no actual destination for the last few hours. He was fairly sure he wouldn't be able to sleep, but his body was ready to shut down after being so drained for so long. His bedroom was in sight, but only just as his best friend's frame stepped in to block his view.

"What the hell is your problem?"

"As touching as your concern for me is, I'd really rather discuss this in about forty-eight hours," he patted his friend on the back.

"Is this some kind of ploy?"

"What?" he pulled back, at his friend's clearly incensed face.

"You dump her, make her realize that it was you she wanted all along, and I get screwed?"

"How do you even…?" Pax began before realization washed over him. He really was tired. "Rosa."

"She said Ella cried for an hour before packing a bag and leaving. Leaving, Pax. No girl gets that upset over a guy she isn't interested in."

"I did what I thought was best," he said in his own defense. "It had nothing to do with you."

"Nothing to do with me! Are you fucking kidding me?"

"Lay off! You think this was easy? That I enjoyed any of this?"

"I don't know, you tell me!" he yelled back, clearly on the offensive.

"I care about her, okay? I couldn't stand to see her go through any of this, just like I couldn't stand to see you go through this anymore either. Have you particularly enjoyed not speaking to me lately?"

"We talk," Jas pulled back at the accusation.

"We DON'T TALK! We exist around each other, and over what? We always said we'd never let this kind of shit get between us!"

"Ella's different," Jasper said quietly.

"Yeah. She is. But I didn't want us to be. Excuse me," he said, pushing his way past to his room and shutting his door. Shutting out everything that had come down on top of him so quickly.


	46. Chapter 46

Jess came into the living room at the sound of voices entering the front hall. Gwen and her sister were in the bedroom pouring over the classifieds, looking to hit pay dirt in the form of a larger apartment nearby that wouldn't force them to send one of the kids into slave labor to make rent. The very thought of moving caused a low, dull ache behind his right eye, so he'd gladly left to get refreshments for the braver of the group—or crazier, as was probably a better term for people who seemed to like the 'challenge' placed before them.

His mind instantly shifted as he saw his ex-wife and children coming through the door. He searched faces, but found only smiles. Warily, he proceeded.

"Hey," he nodded as they stood in a small group around him.

"Hey," Erin said breathlessly. "Jimmy here yet?"

Jess held in a smirk. "He did call, something about being tied up with an old buddy," he explained.

"So, he's getting lucky?" Ambrose asked, earning a groan from his sister and father, and a pinch from his mother. "What? Like I haven't learned your code words by now?"

"He'll be here very shortly," Jess reiterated. "How was lunch?"

"Fine," Jules promised. She looked to her mom, "Can we do it now?"

"Do what?" Jess asked, still wary of the way his kids were completely relaxed and seemingly happy in Erin's presence.

"Gwen should probably be here for this," Erin said, not to Jules or Jess in particular.

"She's in the back, should I get her?" he asked.

"I'll do it," Jules offered, moving before Jess could say another word.

"What is this about?" he asked Erin in a low tone.

"What did you used to tell us about waiting for surprises?" Ambrose stroked his chin, moving to stand next to his father. "Something about the giver changing their minds if we didn't just shut up and stop asking questions that were never going to be answered anyhow," he took too much pleasure in throwing his father's words back at him.

"You know, when it comes time to update my will, you might not like the outcome too much," he put his arm around his son's neck, making like he was going to wrestle him.

"I thought you said this was a good surprise," Gwen said to Jules, followed closely by Sari.

"Hey, stop that," Jules admonished the boys, who seemingly ignored her, but didn't pursue their struggle past unlocking their limbs. "Thank you. Mom, go ahead."

"Well, I wanted to do something, for the kids, for you," she nodded to Jess. "I had one idea, that I included the kids in. But then, I was talking to Gwen earlier, when it hit me what I really wanted to do for you. So you just have to pick, do you want the big surprise first, or the small one?"

Jess held back the question as to what the catch was—she looked still very much like the old Erin he knew from years past. One that he was never wary of, one he always trusted. "Small one."

She smiled knowingly. "Go ahead, Jules," she prodded.

"Here," she pulled a folded over pamphlet out of her back pocket and handed it to Jess. He unfolded it, looked it over, and handed it to Gwen as a smile spread over his face. "Crib World?"

Erin nodded. "Don't tell me you have one, either," she warned.

"But it's still in storage," he protested.

"That thing is not only old, but would fall apart under the weight of anything more than a pillow."

"I told you, I fixed it," he sighed.

"What are you going on about?" Gwen asked, looking up from the brochure.

"Ambrose decided to use the crib as a fort when we first got Jules her first bed," he sighed. "He and Jake had this huge war, in which the entire stuffed animal population of our household was wiped out," he shook his head at the hilarity of finding their entire apartment strewn with ragged-looking stuffed bears and horses and monkeys. "It took some strain," he admitted.

"That crib should have gone to the dumpster that night," Erin informed her. "But he claimed he could fix it, just in case," she trailed off. "Anyhow, the kids and I looked, but we weren't sure what you'd want, so that has a gift certificate with it, pick anything you want, and it's on me."

"Erin," Jess shook his head. "I can't," he started.

"Yes, you can. Now, are you ready for the big surprise?"

He sighed and nodded. "Shoot."

"Gwen was mentioning that you might be looking for a bigger place soon," she rifled around in her purse and pulled out a business card. "Call her. She knows everything, and she can find you the perfect place. I used to work with her brother, and he brought in some article that the _Times_ had done on her, years ago. They call her the Apartment Fairy."

Gwen giggled, and Jess rolled his eyes. "I'm not sure I want someone who lets people call her a fairy find me an apartment. I'll give her money, and she'll sprinkle me with glitter and give me beans," he groaned.

"She doesn't know your mother," she promised. "She's totally legit, she's just amazing at what she does. Use her. Please."

"You didn't have to do all this," he said, stepping forward to give her a hug.

"Yeah, I did. I'm happy for you, and I can't let my kids live in cramped quarters," she joked.

"It won't be so cramped after we sell off all his stuff," Gwen mused.

"Even still, there's a lot of baby stuff you'll have to add," Erin shrugged.

"I don't do a lot of baby paraphernalia," he shuddered at the thought.

"Don't act so macho—you had a Snuggly strapped to you for about three years straight," Erin teased him.

"The book is right—I am finding strange joy in things that I never thought I'd experience," Gwen grabbed hold of Jess' arm, unable to contain her glee.

"What's going on?" Jimmy asked, as he walked into the unlocked door.

"We're laughing at Dad—he likes babies," Jules huddled into her grandfather's waiting arms.

"I think he just likes to corrupt young minds," Jimmy winked at Jess.

"I'm never going to win," he muttered under his breath.

"I'd stop trying," Jimmy advised. "Okay, time to say goodbye to Grandpa!" he called out, inviting the hugs to start up as he and Erin got ready to head for the airport.

"Come visit more often," Jules begged. "Mom might be coming out more, you could just keep coming when she does," she suggested.

"So, I am being punished," Erin uttered into her son's ear, as she hugged him.

"He's not so bad," he promised.

"You're young," she kissed his cheek and sent him off toward Jimmy as she swapped for Jules. "I'm gonna miss you," she promised.

"Me too," Jules nodded, burrowing into her Mom for the first time in a long time. When she pulled back, they were both a bit teary, despite their best efforts at hiding it. Gwen put her hand on Erin's shoulder.

"Thanks for the crib. I hadn't even started thinking that far ahead."

"It'll start to snowball, all the things you have to do. Jess is good at it all, though. He'll definitely get you through it easily."

Gwen nodded and moved to hug Jimmy. "Don't let him talk you into keeping this one from me like he did with those two at first. Well, he tried," he smirked.

"I did not—I tried to keep Liz out of the room, not you."

"At least this time I won't feel so out of place. I was way too young to be a grandpa back then," he remembered.

"No one wants to hear this story," Jess announced.

"It's not my fault that nurse assumed I was Ambrose's father," he raised his hands. "OR that she slipped me her number when I mentioned that I was just there visiting."

Jess hung his head. "Geez," he groaned. "Aren't you gonna be late for your plane, or something?"

"Okay, okay, let's get out of here," Erin nudged Jimmy toward the door. Jess moved to watch them go, leaving her and him a brief moment in the hall as Jimmy went to catch the elevator.

"You really gonna come back more often?" he asked.

"If that's okay," she looked up at him sheepishly.

"I think the kids would like it," he nodded. She gave him one more hug, then turned silently to follow his father down the hall, disappearing back out of his view.

"I can't believe you kept a totaled crib," Gwen said, just over his shoulder.

"It's fine," he said, before turning to face her. "Not that a new one might not be nice," he consented.

"It would be. I don't think a crib is something you want to become a family heirloom."

"Probably not," he conceded, following her back into the apartment. Jules and Sari had begun to Spit on the coffee table, and he was thankful that she was so dutifully Jules' mind off of her mother's departure, happy or not. Ambrose had suddenly vanished, and Jess thought of own tendency to disappear when times weren't so ideal. He kissed Gwen's cheek and told her he'd be right back, as he headed to his son's room to check in on him.

He knocked slightly at the ajar door, seeing his son already at his computer. His email was open, and he didn't have to read the email to know that his son's smile had to do with one person in particular.

"She get her paper written?"

"It's about a quarter done," he said, not looking up for a moment. When he did look up, his face showed his disbelief that Jess knew what he was up to. "How'd you…?"

"I have eyes," he said. "So, when is her next visit down here?"

Ambrose shrugged. "We aren't dating. Just talking. That is all."

Jess nodded and waited.

"And I was thinking of heading up there, tagging along next time Jake was able to get a free weekend. Or you know, whenever."

Jess smirked. "You know, this is how Rory and Tristan started," he cleared his throat.

Ambrose's expression was unmistakably one of hope. "Stop," he instantly dismissed.

"They got to know each other over email, then started visiting each other," he said, nothing in his voice to chide his son. "Ask Luke."

"We're just friends."

"Okay. I'll let you get back to responding to your friend, then," he had to bite the inside of his lip to keep from smirking at his son's bull-headed insistence—or perhaps just youthful shortsightedness.

XXXX

"Does this make us white trash?" Anna asked as she dipped her corn dog into mustard before taking a big bite. Will looked at her and laughed as he took his thumb to wipe off the brownish-yellow glob that had been transferred to her chin in the process.

"I think we're still border-line—no one ran in on the Elvis officiant and yelled that either of us were still legally married to anyone wearing a wife-beater or responsible for the welfare of an illegitimate child," he said with distinction. "But there is something missing here," he said slowly, as if realizing for the first time. He took her corn dog from her, handed his to her, and intertwined their arms. She dipped his in ketchup, he dipped hers in mustard, and they fed each other a bite, giggling all the while.

"What was I thinking? This is perfect," she chewed her wedding meal as she looked at her husband—thanks to the power vested by the King himself, who had been wearing more rhinestones than any wedding dress she'd ever seen.

"So, when you were a little girl, you pictured yourself in jean shorts on the boardwalk in Atlantic City, eating corndogs with your husband of five minutes?"

"No," she admitted rather seriously. "But I did picture myself with you."

He caught her lips, melding dueling condiments that had gone unnoticed at the corners of their mouths. He held her against him, oblivious to the passersby, the noise on the boardwalk, and the fact that their biggest secret would come out in the light of the next day.

"You know what I always pictured?" he whispered into her ear, making the fine hair along the nape of her neck stand up as shivers raced down her spine.

"What?"

"You and me in one of those big Jacuzzi tubs," he began. "Champagne chilling by the king-size bed, and a plate of those chocolate dipped strawberries," he kissed just under her earlobe.

"Pulling out all the stops?" she asked, her eyes closed in pleasure in the heat of the sun as it hovered just over the edge of the water.

"I think it's best we celebrate before our families kill us," he smirked, pulling her by both hands toward their hotel.

XXXX

Rosa was lugging her laptop into her front room, to spread out her study materials since she still had the entire place to herself, when she stopped midway in her tracks to protest.

"Go home!" she commanded.

"She isn't back yet?"

"Do you see her?" she asked. "Come on Jas, don't do this."

"Did she say how long she'd be gone?"

Rosa sat her laptop down on the table and turned to face him. "She's just freaking out. Give her time to adjust to the change. She'll come back."

"And in the meantime, I'm just supposed to sit around and wait for her to get over the great heartbreak of losing Pax?"

"No," Rosa snapped. "You're supposed to realize that what Pax did sucked for him, and that he did it for you."

"I didn't ask him to do this," he shot back. "If he was so into her, why would he push her away?"

"An excellent question for him. Go talk to him."

"Not interested," he leaned his head back against her couch.

"You really think Pax is that spoiled? I'm disappointed in you, if you do."

"Just because you're in love with him," he began, wanting to get under her skin for not siding with him, not letting him vent.

"I am not," she said sharply, "in love with him. I love him, just like I love you and Grey. You're all like brothers to me, not to mention each other. Think about that, and don't let the door hit your ass on the way out."

"Rose," he turned in toward her, tugging on her sleeve. "I'm sorry, okay?"

She shirked off his touch. "I have a paper to write. Just, go talk to Pax. I'll tell Ella you came by."

"Okay," he said, standing up, but not making any other move to leave. "I'm sorry."

Rosa looked up and nodded. "Prove it by talking to him. He hates this as much as you do."

"He ruined it for everyone," he admitted.

"You don't know that," Rosa shook her head. "You don't know how either of them is feeling."

"Yeah, but I know how I'm feeling," he said with finality, holding his hand up in the air in parting before leaving her to her school work.

XXXX

An hour later, Grey found his sister not typing furiously, but staring happily at her computer screen. When she became aware of his presence, a bit too late to lie and try to say she'd been working away, she half-shut her computer and glared at her twin.

"Can none of you stay out of my room? Ella isn't here," she continued to shoot daggers at him with her eyes, knowing full well it wasn't his presence but his having caught her red-handed that bothered her so much.

"I came to check on my favorite sister, not to mention get out of the Alamo," he said. "I've never come to see Ella when it wasn't strictly academic."

"You're saying you have no interest in her whatsoever?" Rosa pried.

"She's at the bottom at a very long list. I've always been first come, first serve. You know that," he smirked.

"How very free love of you," she wrinkled her nose in disgust.

"Not all of us can be lusting after the teenage population of a certain upscale learning institution in New York," he hinted bluntly. "Was I interrupting a long-distance cyber sex session?"

"You're vile," she stuck her tongue out at her brother. "And please don't tell me you've had cyber sex."

"You haven't?" he raised an eyebrow. "Oh wait, you're the good one. My mistake."

"He just emailed to ask how my paper was going. He wants a copy of it when I'm all finished."

Grey nodded, smiling wider as she talked. She rolled her eyes at his silence. "What?"

"You don't want to hear it."

"And that's stopped you in the past?"

"He bugs you."

"Not so much," she shrugged casually.

"He's gotten under your skin, and you want to date him."

"He's too young."

"Two years is nothing."

"Right now it's everything. I'm not discussing this."

"Fine. Reread his email until you go blind, but for God's sakes, don't admit that you might be interested in him. That would be hypocritical."

"Keep this up, and Mom finds out about your Drama minor."

He glared at her. "You wouldn't."

"Quick, pick a tool!" she teased.

"I didn't take Improv! It's Visualization for Actors," he corrected.

"Was the TA for that one the Swede or the one that doesn't own a bra?" she shot back.

"I'm gonna quit telling you things."

"Like that will hinder my knowing every little last detail about you?"

"She owns a bra. She just might not always remember to wear one," he admitted.

"Hah! I knew it!" she did a happy dance, while still sitting on the couch next to him.

"Oh, just write your boyfriend back!" he yelled over her triumph.

"He's not my boyfriend!" she pouted. "Haven't you been listening at all?"

"What's the problem?" he asked, his tone one of concern and not, for once, ridicule.

"He's in New York," she said, her voice as close to the verge of tears as he'd heard in a long time over a guy. It'd been nearly a year, in fact.

"Some guys can do the long distance thing," he promised.

"You think you could?"

"No," he admitted. "I like the actual company of a woman too much. But some guys, I hear, are more interested in a girl's mind and conversation skills."

"You're a pig," she said lovingly, hugging her brother.

"But he might not be," he urged. "Just email him back. What's the worst that could happen?"

She looked at him warily. "Mom said you weren't allowed to ever utter those words again. They bring doom."

"Just email him and let me watch _Die Hard_ in peace, will you?"

Rosa bit her lip and opened her laptop again as her brother rummaged around in her DVD collection to find his favorite movie of all time, and popped it in to leave her to practical privacy as she contemplated just how much damage one little email could do.

XXXX

"Are you going to look at me ever again?" Tristan asked after he'd instructed his son to go on into the house.

Rory turned her head toward her husband, but her eyes only got as far as the parking brake between their seats. "I'm not upset."

"Really? 'Cause it's even getting to me, to have to leave the house."

Her eyes snapped up to his, instantly filled with hope and relief. "Really?"

"I loved that house, too. I loved every single moment we spent there," he admitted.

"Even when I made you sleep on the couch?"

He narrowed his eyes. "You never made me sleep on the couch."

"No, but I thought about it a couple of times," she smirked.

"Liar," he laughed. "The one time I fell asleep on the couch, you came and woke me up, telling me that you heard a ghost in the attic."

"There is a ghost in the attic!" she raised her voice to express her certainty.

"You don't think there's a ghost," he dismissed.

"I heard unearthly noises—disembodied noises."

"You used the normal sounds of the house settling to get me into bed. I know how you work," he said with a simple shrug.

"I don't need tricks to get you in bed with me," she teased back.

"You also don't need a bed to get lucky," he said, unbuckling first his seat belt before reaching one arm around her body to do the same for her. On his way back around her body, he skimmed one hand up her torso and caught his lips against hers.

The windows had just fogged up enough to provide the right amount of cover for their wanton activities when a knock came to the passenger side window. Rory pulled her top down over her again as Tristan pushed the button to roll down her window. Jake stood, looking rather disgusted, as Lorelai stepped up over his shoulder.

"I used to worry about you doing this when you were sixteen—I kinda thought I could quit worrying after you turned 40," she informed her scarlet-cheeked daughter.

"We were going to come in to say hi," Rory promised.

"That's why I'm out here," Lorelai shook her head, ignoring the fact that Tristan was zipping up his pants. "I meant to call you last night, but just when I went to pick up the phone, it rang, and at first, I thought it had to be you, like we were doing that psychic connection thing that's supposed to happen when you're thinking about someone you really love and you think so hard that you pop into their head, making them call you first," she began.

"Oh my God, I was so thinking about calling you last night!" Rory exclaimed, totally acknowledging their super powers.

"Ohmigod!" Tristan exclaimed in his best impression of a girly voice. The two women shot him a glare. "What, you two are the only ones allowed to do that? My mistake," he gruffed.

"Anyway, it wasn't you," she said as if they didn't know, "It was Steve at the Inn, and he told me I had to come down there because a guest was threatening to call the cops on Michel, who was convinced they had gotten into our pillow mints stash and taken like, a case of them. So he was going through their bags, looking for mints, and scattering their actual belongs, sans mints, all over the front lobby," she took a much-needed breath as her crowd couldn't help but laugh at the scene she described.

"So I had to run to the Inn, help Steve repack their belongings while pretending not to notice the uh," she glanced at her grandson before looking knowingly at her daughter and Tristan, "the uh, appliances they'd brought from home," she coughed, "and promising them that the next time they stayed with us, on the house, Michel would be on Stable Duty."

"Bet he was thrilled to hear about the newly instated Stable Duty," Rory snickered.

"Well, he disliked his immediate punishment more," she smirked.

"You made him put his nose in the corner?" Rory asked.

"I recruited him as pizza delivery boy. I realized I still hadn't called and gotten Ella's pizza," she explained.

"Wait, you made him go to New Haven to give Ella pizza? That's just blatant abuse of your position of power as his boss," she couldn't help but laugh as she chastised.

"Ella's here," Lorelai said quickly. "She's actually in the living room right now with her two favorite boys."

"Jasper and Pax?" Rory asked, agape at the thought.

"Ben and Jerry," Lorelai corrected.

"What?" Rory asked, nearly knocking her mother and son over as she opened her door and spilled out, the others on her heels as she took the porch steps in twos and ran in to see her daughter on the couch, in a pair of flannel pajamas, eating out of a huge tub of ice cream.

"What is going on?" Rory asked. "Shouldn't you be in some sort of Creative Writing lab or in a library studying for your test next week? Or cleaning your dorm room so your parents don't think you're living like a bum in a sty while you forget to eat during the week and party all weekend?"

"Don't freak out," she urged. "I got some classmates to email me notes," she promised.

"That's not the same as being there! You don't ingest all the same information from reading over someone else's notes as you do by living through the experience. What's going to happen when your professor asks you a question about the ramifications of the political system in England in the 1800s on the creative community and its output? You think you'll know all of what he's looking for, or will you know more about what happened on _General Hospital_ that you were watching instead of being at class?"

"Mom, you don't understand! It's just one day, and all of this just happened! I couldn't risk running into Pax, or Jasper, I just couldn't, not after what happened!"

"What happened?" Rory asked, straining to remain calm.

"What your mother really wants to know is, which one of them do I need to kill?" Tristan asked as he took in the sight of his clearly upset daughter. There was one true sign of a Gilmore woman having been scorned, and the balled up tissues that lay amongst the remains of plates of junk food that were laying around Ella spoke volumes.

"It was all my fault!" Ella broke out into tears all over again, clearly making her brother uncomfortable, and kicking her father into gear. He took her in his arms, and she seemed to wipe all the moisture on her face into his shirt.

"I'm sure that's not the case," he assured her.

"No, I was dating them both, I let it go on too long, and Pax dumped me," she swallowed. "Now he hates me, and I'm sure Jasper hates me too. If I go back there, he'll be able to find me to tell me just that much," she explained.

"Running away from these things isn't an option, though," Rory tried to soothe.

"It's the only one that made sense," Ella sobbed. "I'm never dating again, I can't. I just can't. I'm joining a convent," she decreed.

"Oh, honey, no. The clothes are horrible," Lorelai shuddered.

"I just can't go back. I'm going to have to transfer schools, I can't face the mess that I've created," she ignored her grandmother's attempt at levity.

"Okay, stop," Rory held up her hand. "I get that this is a mess, and for whatever your part in this mess is, it seems insurmountable. But nothing is insurmountable. You will take a shower, put on real clothes, get in the car, and go back. You will take office hours with your professors to make up the missed classes, you will jump back into your life, because that is the only way to move on. You have to move. It's the Gilmore way to tackle things head on, and if I have to drag you through each and every one of the aforementioned bullet points, you're doing them."

Ella eyed her mother in silence, a bit terrified of her sudden demands. "I'm a Dugrey, not a Gilmore," she tried.

"I beg to differ," Michel said, coming out of the kitchen with a piece of pizza that had all the good topping picked off, leaving just the cheese to cover the sauce. "You are one of them, with your insistence that this is low fat cheese. This cheese is filled with fat, and I was about to eat it when I noticed that it stuck to the crust. Low fat cheese doesn't stick!" he yelled.

"Why are you still here?" Rory asked, clearly confused as to his presence in her mother's home—a place that Michel claimed the devil smiled on.

"He's waiting for his tip," Lorelai giggled, enjoying seeing her granddaughter become one of a long line of Gilmore women.

XXXX

Jasper let himself into his room, hoping against hope to find the common room empty—or at least void of the presence of Pax. His wishes weren't filled, however, as he found his would-be best friend sitting on the couch, behind a bowl of peanuts and a case of beer. He looked at him for a moment before Pax spoke.

"I wanted to do this right, but I figured a bar would be too public," he spoke earnestly.

"Look, I have stuff to do. If Mom sees my room in the state it's in, I'll never hear the end of it," he began.

"I think your mom knows you couldn't get your clothes in a hamper if your life depended on it," Pax joked.

"Fine, then I have homework," he evaded.

"Look, this probably isn't as bad as it seems. She probably wanted to be with you anyhow."

"That is so far beside the point," he shook his head in disgust.

"What is the point, then?" Pax asked.

"How would you like to be with her, always knowing that you were the consolation prize?" he shot at him, unable to hold back truth now.

"It's not like that," Pax assured him, albeit loudly and defensively.

"No? So tell me, how is it? Why did you do it?" he yelled.

Pax held his best friends gaze for a moment before the words came exploding out of him. The truth. "I was starting to fall in love with her!"

Jasper took a step back, as if the words had actually made contact with his body. He blinked as he took in the state of havoc this had clearly wreaked on his friend, and he could almost hear Rosa's voice in his head, saying it hadn't been easy on him at all.

He stepped forward to open two beers and handed one to his friend. "Guess we'll be needing these after all."


	47. Chapter 47

Tristan used his daughter's key to let himself into the suite. He clearly startled the two people sitting on the couch, whose only sources of light were the television and computer screen respectively. He marched into Rosa's room, flipped on the light, marched into Ella's room, flipped on the light, and then returned back to the main room.

"You some sort of hairy den mother?" Greyson asked, clearly amused. "I didn't realize we'd missed bed check."

"Which one are you?" Tristan asked.

"Excuse me?" he shook his head.

"Are you one of the two boys that sent my daughter on a trip through wallowing and self-pity via Ben and Jerry's Boulevard?" he inquired.

"I'm usually just here for help with Russian homework," Grey responded.

"He's my brother, Mr. Dugrey. The other two aren't likely to be milling about. Trust me, I have sort of a fear of God that's too easy to instill in them."

He nodded. "Okay. I'll be back."

Rosa and Grey exchanged looks in the dark and waited for their very own terminator to return. Rory flipped on the main overhead light when the entered moments later, muttering about Tristan needing a club the next time he pulled such a stunt.

"You sure you don't want to come to the hotel tonight?" she was asking Ella, who shuffled her feet as she entered the room. Ella looked around, as if she didn't know of the boy-sweep her father had just made. Tristan and Jake flanked the doors like bodyguards at an exclusive club.

"I'm sure Mom. I don't really want to share a bed with Jake," she turned to face her mom.

"Says the cover hog," Jake muttered.

"Can I talk to you, just for a minute?" Rory nodded to Ella's room, and with a sigh of teenage disinterest, Ella followed her.

Rosa looked from her half-composed email to Jake. She saved the draft and closed her laptop.

"Hey, Jake, I think you left something here last week," she stood up, stretching her legs before heading to her room. "I put it on my dresser," she pointed, hoping he'd follow without much coaxing.

Jake looked surprised, but covered quickly. "Oh, uh, sure," he nodded, not meeting his father's amused smirk as he passed him on his way into the room.

"Dropping like flies, eh?" Grey asked.

"Is that _Diehard_?" Tristan asked, moving to see the television.

"It is indeed. Popcorn?" Grey offered, as Tristan sat down on the couch next to the younger man, and they enjoyed their treat in relative silence.

XXXX

"What are you going to do if one of them comes to your window?" Rory grilled.

"Life isn't a John Hughes movie, Mom," Ella informed.

"You think boys don't come to windows? I'll have you know that I've never had a boyfriend that didn't. Frequently when something had gone awry."

"Such as?"

"Well, my first boyfriend, he came to my window the day after we fell asleep at Ms. Patty's, and was afraid Mom would behead him with a weed whacker," she began.

"Wait, is this the bag boy?"

Rory groaned at her husband's fondness for 'you won't believe the dumb things your mother did' lore and rubbed her temples. "Your uncle Jess came to my window more frequently than he used my front door, mostly because Mom hated him on general principle," she continued.

"Gramma loves Uncle Jess."

"Now, yes, she does. Back then, however," she trailed off.

"Why'd she hate him?"

"He had a tendency to be rude," she smirked, remembering the way he used to like to irk her mother. He had a distinct talent and took pride in giving Lorelai her very first frown line.

"He's still rude. But she finds it amusing now."

"Because she knows he's not corrupting her daughter anymore. Can we focus?"

"Fine," Ella crossed her arms. "Continue."

"And your father—He could teach scaling exterior walls as a class at the university level."

"Daddy did the Romeo thing?"

"May lightening strike me," Rory raised her hand.

"After a fight?"

Rory giggled. "One of his many tactics, but yes. I think he did it because he knew I liked to see him work at it. He had such a look of determination when he got through the sill."

"So, you fought a lot?"

"Everyone fights," Rory shrugged. "If you never fight, you miss out on a very passionate side of a relationship."

Ella was quiet. "Well, I don't anticipate either of them scaling a window, to fight or to make up or anything else."

"Fine," Rory soothed. "Then I turn my attention to one last question."

"I told you'd email my professors," she sighed.

"No," Rory shook her head. "Have you made boyfriend boxes yet?"

"Oh, geez," Ella flopped onto her bed. "Mom, don't make me do this again," she pleaded.

"Els, I never wanted to do it either, but do you know how much this will not only help you, but mean to you in the future? To be able to look back and think about all the good times you had in your life? Before you were old and married and burdened with teaching your wise ways to your children that will never take anything you say at face value?" she nudged.

"Fine. I'll do it before I go to bed. But I don't want to keep them here," her eyes widened in panic.

"I'll take them home with me when we leave this weekend," she promised, leaning in to hug her daughter.

"Thanks, Mom," she hugged back tighter.

"Okay. So, when do you want to meet in the morning?"

"Oh my God, the brunch! It's too late to cancel," grabbed her mom's elbows tightly. "I can't--," she cut off.

"GAH!" Rory cut in. "What did I say about can't? You can do whatever you want. You're just there as Rosa's friend, not as anyone's girlfriend, or friend with benefits, or whatever you were choosing to call it," she spoke succinctly, clearly not wanting to hear the latest label for the stringless dating fad. "Understood?"

"Yes," she said solemnly. "But it's under protest."

"Fine. I'll see you around 10:30 tomorrow. You can bring a picket sign," she kissed her cheek and took her leave, at the ready to have to drag her husband away from Bruce Willis and extra-buttered popcorn.

XXXX

"So, how're things?" Rosa asked, clicking her nails on her very empty dresser top.

"Good. You?" Jake inquired politely.

"Oh, you know. Busy. Papers and all," she looked around.

"Right. How's that coming?"

"Slowly. I can't decide on an ending, actually. Maybe you could help me?"

Jake narrowed his eyes. "I'm not sure. What's the problem?"

"Well, the parents seem to be fairly well tied up. But the effects on the kids, that's a big toss up. And since you know them, you might be a great source in backing up what my data leads to."

Jake nodded and suppressed a smile. "Right. I'll try to help you out."

"Great," Rosa smiled brightly. "So, clearly Jules had some eating issues when her mom first left," she spoke extemporaneously. "Do you think having the support of a boyfriend will keep that at bay? Because she seemed rather stable to me," she led.

"Jules will never want for a support system," Jake promised. "But she does seem more capable of dealing since she started dating Court, I guess," he answered.

"Excellent. Now, the son," her eyes snapped up to Jake's. "He wasn't clear with me on how he really dealt."

"I'm not surprised," Jake shrugged. "Other than playing ball and watching out for Jules," he began. "Shouldn't he have mentioned all of this?"

"Please, Jake," her eyebrows furrowed together as she willed him to continue on.

"He keeps a lot of things in."

"How do you foresee that playing itself out?" she asked.

"You mean do I think he'll be up in a tower with a semi-automatic?" he asked bluntly.

"I mean do you think this will have ruined him for relationships, causing him to go on an endless chain of one-night stands, never giving or receiving any kind of fulfillment whatsoever."

Jake blinked. "Uh--," he stammered.

"Solely for research purposes, of course. I mean, it happens."

"I think both circumstances are unlikely. I think that when and if the right girl ever came along, he'd bend time and space to be with her. He doesn't do obstacles. Or rules," he smiled.

"You're a good friend," she wrinkled her nose as she smiled.

"You think you can finish your paper now?" he inquired.

"Yeah. Beat it. Oh, and Jake?" she asked as he nearly got to her door.

"Yeah?"

"I'm gonna watch out for Ella."

He smiled and nodded, moving out to rejoin his family in the main room.

XXXX

"How about this one?" Gwen pointed to the second crib on the page.

"What's all that fluffy stuff?" he pointed.

"A dust ruffle, maybe?" she squinted.

"I doubt the baby will need dusted. This one?" he pointed.

"Very stark. Is there even a mattress in there, or is that just a wooden board?" she asked.

"We can add things to it," he sighed.

"Like dust ruffles?" she teased.

"Next," he called.

"Maybe we should find out if it's a boy or girl first," she suggested.

"Jules and Am both slept in the same crib, and I don't think their identities hinged on it," he said. "You really want to find out?"

"Not that we can, for a while," she hedged but then nodded. "I'd like to know."

"Okay," he nodded simply.

"You're okay with knowing?"

"It's not like we don't have the big unveiling moment. It just comes during an ultrasound instead of after the doctor slaps it on the ass."

She looked rather disturbed at his logic, but nodded. "You know cribs aren't the only thing I'm gonna have to be buying soon."

He looked up at her. "Such as?"

"Maternity clothes," she didn't even bat an eyelash.

"For what? You're not even starting to show," he chortled.

"My skinny jeans wouldn't zip today," she said with conviction.

"Tell me that's a brand," he looked at her warily.

"Have you had no contact with women ever?" her mouth gaped open.

"Plenty," he smirked. "That doesn't mean I listen when all of them talk."

"Skinny jeans are the jeans you keep so you can one day hope to fit into them again. When I met you, I had just fit into my skinny jeans again, after like, five years."

"Wait. You kept a pair of jeans for five years, even though they didn't fit?" he asked.

"At this rate, even my fat jeans will be a thing of the past in a couple of weeks."

"Okay, so your fat pants you've kept also for five years, in case you got fat?"

"No, they're for binge emergencies."

"Binge emergencies?"

"You know, the day after Thanksgiving, the holiday season in general, a post-break-up eating binge, the usual."

"Sure, sure," he frowned.

"Of course, it doesn't stop there."

"It doesn't?"

"Those are just two types of jeans."

"I thought there was just one kind—denim."

She giggled. "For men, there are. Women aren't so lucky. We have not only skinny and fat, but dress, casual, good ass jeans, old, everyday," she ticked off, him not bothering to ask the difference between old and everyday. "Boot cut, flared, Capri length… Oh, and fuck me jeans."

"Can I see a pair of these last kind?"

"You already have," she kissed him.

"Come on, I bet they still fit," he let the crib catalog fall between them on top of the sheets.

"I don't want to overload your brain," she giggled.

"Too late, it's already pounding," he admitted.

"Let's just get back to picking a crib. Which one do you think we should get?"

"I don't know," he said, picking up the catalog again and looking over it, flipping through a few pages. "I guess whichever one will make my ass look the smallest," he joked, causing her to rip the pages from his hands and tossing them over the side of the bed, ready to silence his laughter.

XXXX

"I'm so glad they're all gone," Ella said, avoiding her freshly made boyfriend boxes as she made more microwave popcorn.

Rosa nodded. "I've been trying to kick people out of here all day," she settled down on the couch, her laptop a few feet away on a table. Seemingly out of sight, out of mind.

"People?"

Rosa bit her lip, not sure if she should really tell her about Jas' state while sulking in the room earlier today. "You know, Grey, your folks," she trailed off. "So, what'd you put in those boxes?"

"Rosa, who else came by?"

"Please don't make me tell you," she urged. "We can talk about anything else."

"Like what?"

"Like damage control for tomorrow."

"You really think I should go tomorrow? No one wants me there."

"I want you there. And if you tell me all the dirty details, I can tell you how to best navigate through and make them think that you're okay with all of it."

Ella looked skeptical. "What kind of dirty details?"

"You know, who put what where," Rosa encouraged.

"God!" Ella took a handful of popcorn, the butter coating her fingers. "Some things are private."

"Yeah, but how private is it after the fact? You don't have to go into gory details."

Ella seemed to consider this. "And it's just between us, right?"

Rosa crossed her heart with her fingers before grabbing her own handful of popcorn. "Only us. Now, tell me everything."

Ella fidgeted in her seat. "Did one of them come by here?"

Rosa sighed, realizing this wasn't going to drop. "Jasper did. I think he wanted to see you, but I told him you'd gone to visit your grandma."

Ella nodded. "Oh. So, he knows about Pax calling it off with me."

"He does."

"Did he," she looked up at her friend, "say anything about following suit?"

"Look, I can help you deal, but I can't get in the middle of all this. You need to talk to each guy, if there's something you want to know."

Ella agreed. "You're right. Let's focus on brunch, since my mother seems hell bent on making me go."

"It won't be bad, I promise. So, what exactly are you walking away from here?"

"I don't even know how to explain it. With Pax," she bit her lip. "The night before he broke up with me, he was so sweet—I mean, it's true, he did tell me that talking about this wouldn't change anything, and I'm still not sure what he meant by that, but he stayed with me, in my room, all night."

Rosa's cheeks colored slightly. "Oh, so you two already," she insinuated.

"No! I mean, I haven't had sex with either of them," she swore.

"So, he just slept in your room?"

"He was gone when I woke up, but he left a note, saying he had to get to the library. We spent all night, not talking, admittedly, but," she searched for words, but none came. "I don't know."

"And Jasper?"

"It's completely different with Jasper. With Pax it was sort of overwhelming, in a way. With Jasper, everything seemed easier."

"Is that good or bad?" Rosa asked.

"Neither," she admitted. "But either way, I can't imagine that he'd seriously want to continue dating me now. Maybe it's better if everything stops now. Cools off."

"Are you sure?" Rosa asked.

"No," Ella admitted. "I thought it was bad enough, losing one guy at a time. Losing two great guys at once really sucks."

"Don't worry," Rosa offered up the bowl of popcorn. "I'm gonna get you through this."

"What do I do?" Ella asked, ready for the one source of authority on the boys she had to spout off any and all knowledge on playing it cool.

XXXX

Bright and early the next morning, just as the sun was breaking over the horizon in Stars Hollow, Will pulled his car to a stop outside his father's diner. He could smell the aroma of freshly brewed coffee through the open window, knowing the early morning rush was just beginning. He rubbed one hand over Anna's slumped shoulder to rouse her.

She blinked hard and smiled as her eyes focused on him. "I know you," she mused.

"I'm gonna go grab us some coffee for the trip. You want Danish?" he kissed her cheek.

"I love you," she nodded, snuggling back down in the seat to continue her cat nap. They'd spent all night in Atlantic City, enjoying their wedding night just until they had to get into the car to make it back to meet Dave and Mal. Her new husband reached for the door handle, and she put a groggy hand on his arm to stop him. "Wait," she urged.

"What?" he looked at her in concern.

"Take off your ring," her hoarse voice managed.

"What—oh," he frowned. "I don't really want to."

"Do you want someone to see it before we tell our moms?" she pointed out.

"What do we do with them?"

"Give it to me," she held out her hand, having taken hers off as well. "I'll put it in my pill box."

He watched as she put their wedding bands securely amongst two Excedrin tablets and dropped it back into her purse. "Okay. You can fetch me stuff now," her mouth twisted into a happy, drowsy grin.

"Married just hours and already looking out for my best interests," he mused as he exited the car to obtain sustenance. He entered through the front door of the diner and easily spotted his father behind the cash register. He felt the overwhelming urge to tell him of the major milestone that had just occurred in his life, but as he swiped his thumb over the back of his left, now empty, ring finger, he knew he had to wait.

"You're up early," Luke surmised.

"Meeting Dave and Mal for that counseling retreat. Can I get coffee and Danish to go?"

"How many?"

"Four."

"You're treating everyone?"

Will shrugged. "Guess so."

Luke nodded and moved to fill the order. "So, you think this thing will really help you out?"

"I know that I'm tired of past things standing in our way. What happened with Bree has no bearing on the fact that I am supposed to be with Anna. And I want her to feel the same way about the stuff that's happened to her. I know she does."

"Sounds like even having to go to this, has made you talk more."

Will smiled. "Yeah. Something like that."

"You realize your mother is going to take all the credit for this, right?" Luke handed over the sack of Danish before sliding the to-go holder of coffee his way.

"I had no doubts," Will grabbed the load and nodded. "Thanks."

By the time he exited the diner, Dave's car had pulled up behind his. Dave stuck his head out the window. "Hey, I'll drive, you guys can throw your stuff in the back."

Will handed over the food, saving one coffee out of the holder. "Just let me get Ann."

Holding the top off the coffee in one hand and placing the cup just under her nose with the other hand, he waited. Her eyes opened, again, with a smile, and she yawned. "Mmm, coffee. Where's the Danish?"

"In Dave's car. If I give it to you all now, you'd never get out of the car."

"I'm not sure I can," she looked up at him impishly. "I'm really tired, and my legs are kinda sore," she blushed.

"Hang on," he took the coffee from her, with minimal protest, and put it on top of his car. He leaned down on the ground, facing away from her, and told her to hop on. She wrapped her body around his back, and as he stood up, he swung around so she could grab her coffee. She laughed out loud the whole time, even through as he opened the door to Dave's SUV and turned his back to the car once again, allowing her to sit right down in the backseat and slide her legs in. Mal handed her a Danish, as Will locked his car and climbed in on the other side of the backseat.

"What is with you two?" Dave asked.

"Nothing," they answered in unison.

"I've seen you do some sappy things, but that was pitiful."

"She's tired," Will said simply.

"So? Who isn't? It's freaking six in the morning. You gonna carry me around the retreat?"

"No offense, but I'm taken," he joked back.

"Whatever," Dave said, flipping on the radio as he watched the pair in the review mirror. His sister used her finger to wipe away stray cherry sauce from Will's chin, only to have him take her finger into his mouth to clean it off for her in turn. He made a sound of disgust, but calmed as Mal handed over his own Danish and rested her hand on his leg.

"You okay? I can drive the first leg, if you want," she offered.

He took her hand up to his lips. "I'm good. I'll just—oh, God," he griped as he saw a rather tender moment occurring in the backseat. "I realize the point of this getaway is to strengthen relationships, but can you not strengthen it with my sister in my backseat?"

"Sorry, Dave, it's just, this song," Anna giggled as Harry Belafonte crooned on.

"Day-O?" he asked. "Day-O gets you hot?" more disbelief was all he had.

"Not hot, just… sentimental," Will offered, pulling Anna closer to him.

"Oh, the time you were stuck alone in your house, before you found all the other dead people in the world? No, wait, that's something else," Dave teased.

"Just, drive, Dave. We don't want to be late."

"We haven't even left, and me wanna go home," Dave sang over the actual words to the song, as they pulled further away from Stars Hollow.

XXXX

"Ouch, shit!"

These words sprang Ella's body upright in her bed, propelling her heart to beat against her sternum. She calmed a bit when she saw the familiar form of Jasper Wellington rubbing his now bruising shin.

"What are you doing?" she whispered loudly.

"Hurting myself," he winced.

"How did you get in here?"

"Through your window, which you evidently booby trapped with these boxes… that have my name on them?" he asked, looking up at her.

"Why is my mother always right?" she grumbled as she threw her sheets off of her body and moved to join him.

"Excuse me?"

"No, nothing," she shook her head. "Forget the box."

"I'm sorry, but a guy falls on a box with his name on it, it's a hard thing to forget. Is it for me?"

"No, it's for me. Why are you here?"

He shook his head. "I don't get it."

"It's a boyfriend box," she sighed, hating to explain the concept. It tended to sound trite and childish when she actually spoke of it.

"Boyfriend box?"

"A box of all the stuff that reminds you of your boyfriend."

"Okay. And it's all in a box so it won't get lonely?"

"No. So I don't destroy it in the time it takes me to appreciate having it."

That got him. He looked down to see the letters of his best friend's name scrawled in magic marker on the bottom box. "Not exactly what I wanted to hear, but I guess it's a good enough segue," he sat on the piled boxes.

"Rosa said you came by while I was gone," she said.

"I did. I wanted to talk to you. I know you aren't dating Pax anymore."

Ella nodded. "Definitely not."

"And I don't know about you," he looked up into her obviously still hurting and confused eyes. "But I've been thinking a lot since I heard about it. I really like you, Ella, but under the circumstances, perhaps it'd be better if we put all this on hold."

"On hold?" she asked, as the concept she'd never considered revealed itself to her.

"We haven't really begun to date," he started explaining, "I mean, a few dates and some chocolate cake," he shrugged. "Anyhow, I do really like you, but with everything that's happened, perhaps it's best that we just stay friends right now, until everything else blows over."

"Blows over?"

"Calms down, if you will. I've talked to Pax," he admitted.

"Oh?" she looked away.

"Am I wrong in thinking it'd be a bit awkward for you and him to be in the same place for a while?"

"No," she said stoically.

"I don't want that for us. I have no reason not to want to be near you."

"Me either," she admitted. "I just didn't want the same thing to happen all over again. That's why I went to visit my grandparents."

He nodded. "Okay then. So, we're friends."

"Friends," she nodded. "On hold."

"Yes. Friends, on hold."

"What happens when we're not holding anymore?"

"Time will tell," he stood up. "Would you like some help with the boxes?"

She shook her head. "I might leave them there. Good for blocking intruders."

"Rosa would have nailed me if she caught me coming in the front door. I just wanted to clear this up, the two of us."

"I'm glad you did," she said, moving in to hug him.

"Good," he hugged her back, unable to hold back from breathing her in. They lingered a bit too long in the hug—past comfort and into something else. She pulled back just enough to receive a kiss, should he be so weak-willed, but he prevailed as he stepped back. "I'll see you at brunch."

She nodded nervously. "You sure will," she promised.

He hopped up on the boxes and eased himself back out of her window. She closed it behind him and stared after his form until he rounded a corner and was gone from her sight.

"Friends," she said simply before flouncing back onto her bed and screaming into her pillow.


	48. Chapter 48

AN: Katherine wishes me to remind you all that this story, this chapter in particular, is all her doing. I am but her vehicle. (kisses) thanks to everyone for reviewing and embracing all the crazy characters that have been brought into play. This is the Brunch, Part one. Enjoy.

* * *

The door swung open, only to reveal all that Jasper hadn't had the time or energy to hide before falling on top of his covers just a few precious hours ago.

"Ew!" came the disgruntled response that assaulted his ears as the harsh mid-morning light hit his eyes.

He didn't need his eyes to adjust to the sudden rush of stimuli to know it was his mother hovering near the window pull. "This a dream?" he managed.

"Unless I'm dreaming in Smell-O-Vision," Katherine Wellington made a face, stepping back toward the entrance of the room. "Do you need me to spring for a Glade plug-in? Or would that just mask the odor? How about a roll of quarters to get a jump start on the mountain of laundry that has begun to take on life of its own?"

"You're offering to do my laundry?"

"Ew!" she shrieked again. "Did something move in the corner?"

Jasper groaned and pulled a pillow over his head. "Just poke it with a stick, it'll stop," he teased. It was a moment later that he jumped upright as he was poked with something sharp in his side.

"Ouch!"

His mother was standing next to the bed holding his fencing blade. Even with the rubber-tipped end, she'd found a nice space between his ribs to nestle the tip. Quite effective in ousting him from the still enjoyable haze of sleep.

"You were to be ready to go 10:15 on the dot—you know your father and uncles have all sorts of weird traditions on this campus, and if we don't start now, they'll miss rubbing the freaky bronze dog, and it's all we'll hear about," she stamped her foot. "Now you have ten seconds, and from the looks of things around here, that's five seconds more than you normally take in getting ready," she slammed the door behind her as she retreated from the offensive room.

"Hullo to you too, Mum," he groaned, peeling the shirt he wore last night up off his torso, depositing on the mounting pile and stepping gingerly over the fencing blade as he extracted a clean one from his closet. By the time he hit the door he'd grabbed an entire fresh ensemble, fully mother-approved, ready to greet his family.

XXXX

"Aha!"

Pax sat up, blonde hair pressed permanently in an array of odd angles, his eyes blinking rapidly in hopes of erasing the view he saw in front of him.

"You really are my kid," Amy Huntzberger pointed at him as the laundry fell out of the closet, where it'd been stuffed in order to make his room appear neat and tidy. There wasn't even a scholarly scattering of books to make good appearances. If you failed to look behind or inside of anything, all was in its rightful place.

"You weren't supposed to open that," he instructed.

"Except, my kid wouldn't be ten minutes late to anything," her tone changed from amused to displeased at having her schedule crunched.

"Mom, I just got--," he began.

"Ehhh!" her hands flew up to her ears. "Unless you have some story about being up all night helping orphans with their homework before aiding little old ladies with their grocery bags, which by the way was the excuse your father used when he was late getting to your fifth birthday party, I don't really want to hear it."

"But, Mom," he started again.

"You think I even fell for that story the first time?"

"No," he responded honestly. "Do you ever believe any of Dad's stories?"

"No," she smiled back. "But every now and then, I let him think I do. It's good for him."

Pax shook his head at his mother's humor. "Two minutes?"

"One. Everyone's waiting."

He just nodded as he watched his mother kick the dirty laundry back into his closet before exiting the room, no doubt to tell everyone that he'd be right out. God help the man that put a hitch in the sacred Yale plans.

XXXX

"Why is it so hard?" Miel Langley grilled her son, the only of the three that shared the suite to be up and in fine form as he opened the door for the barrage of parents that invaded just minutes before.

"So, you haven't missed me?" Grey smiled at his mom.

"Of course I've missed you," she looked hurt. "I'm not the one that doesn't seem to know how to use a phone."

"You keep saying to call when I've declared a major, so I figured," he led.

"Don't pull that overly analytical crap with me, young man," she shook her head, wagging her finger in his face.

"Dad, can you help me out here?"

Colin looked up from the newspaper he'd found on the coffee table. "You're kidding, right? I'm just glad she wasn't around when I spent two years undeclared in college," he winked at his wife.

"What's wrong with exploring multiple paths?"

"Nothing—you can have a couple of minors if you want," Miel encouraged.

"That is so not what I meant," Grey put his head in his hands.

"I see we're right on schedule out here," Pax said as he and Jasper emerged from their respective rooms. Grey exchanged looks with each guy, completely unsure as to what happened in the suite the night before, having gone straight to his room after he left Rosa's late last night having seen only empty beer cans scattered about.

"I'm buying you a new watch," Amy stood up after Logan offered his hands out to pull her up off the couch.

"Hey, we'll still make everything in good time," he put one arm around her waist.

"Gee, you mean we aren't going to have to skip rubbing that dog, or perhaps nix one of the stories about your glory days in which you nearly got thrown off campus for bursting in on a class you weren't enrolled in and embarrassing some innocent bystander to satisfy your own sick means are we?" she waxed glibly.

"You said you thought those stories were cute," Logan's eyes sparkled at his wife, his tone quite playful despite the revelation.

"I think I said you were cute," she shook her head. "But you do like to editorialize."

"And in the interest of not having to drag a hose in here, can we go pick up Rosa now?" Pax cleared his throat as his father drew his mother against his chest, clearly whispering things into her ear.

Katherine stood up as well, yanking her dozing husband back to reality. "We better go. If I don't keep him moving, he won't even be in zombie mode," she ran her hand over her husband's back soothingly.

"We'll just get a wheelbarrow," Logan offered. "It's nothing new. Colin, you remember the time…," he kept on talking across his wife as his son locked and secured the door—still managing to not make eye contact with Jasper.

XXXX

"I'm sorry they're all late," Rosa checked her watch again. "They're never late," she swore. "If you want to head to the restaurant, I'm sure they won't be too much behind you."

"You know, we could just skip it," Ella suggested, earning a look from both her mother and her roommate.

"I don't see why you're so insistent that she have to see these guys," Tristan piped up. "It's not like you were so confrontational with guys that ditched you," he taunted.

"Excuse me, no one asked you," Rory glared. "Besides, our daughter should benefit from the wisdom of my mistakes. She should get that from one of us, anyhow," she dug back.

"Hey, no one ditched me," Ella stood up straighter. "Theoretically all that happened is that I'm no longer kissing two guys that I previously was free to make out with."

"And if pressed, I'm sure both would still be willing to make out with you," Rosa said, now earning her own dirty looks from Ella's parents. "Wow. Honesty really isn't the best policy," she muttered.

Jake smiled at her utterance, and was even more grateful to get the door when someone knocked to announce their presence.

"You have got to be Tristan's kid," came the greeting.

"Um, yeah," he managed. "And you are?"

"Logan Huntzberger, or as your mother called me, the Anti-Reporter."

"Anti-Reporter?"

"Instead of going after a story, he would wait until one fell into his lap," his mother stood beside him and moved to hug the blonde man that was still smirking in the doorway.

"Rory, always a pleasure," he kissed her cheek. "And Tristan, how's it going?"

Tristan shook Logan's hand and smiled. "No complaints," he said truthfully, ignoring the look in his wife's eyes. Not only wasn't he going to get into the whole moving to North Carolina thing this weekend—he was actually hoping this was going to work out for the best.

"Excellent," he moved into the room to hug Rosa. "If you all want to ride with us, we got a stretch, so we can all fit."

"Aunt Amy hates those things," Rosa reminded him.

"I had justification, we have guests," he informed her.

"Uh-huh," she rolled her eyes. "Uncle Logan, I want you to meet my roommate, Ella."

Logan's eyes went directly to the introduced girl. "And you're clearly one of Rory's as well," he blinked.

"Some say there's a resemblance," she shrugged. "I don't see it."

"It's a compliment, I assure you," he smiled genuinely. "Shall we?"

"Let's shall," Rosa smiled, ready to see her family. Logan tugged at her sleeve a moment, causing them to hang back as the Dugrey family headed out the door.

"So, would you happen to know what's up with Pax and Jas?" he asked in a low tone.

"If I said no?"

"I wouldn't so much believe you," he nodded.

"Can't we just all have a nice brunch?" she smiled brightly, hopefully.

"I hope so," he nodded as she locked her door and linked arms with him, walking out toward the large stretch automobile.

XXXX

Tons of food had been ordered. Waiters were coming and going with drink refills and addendums—and the adults were having a marvelous time. Old stories flowed more copiously than the mimosas, and laughter filled the banquet room that had been set aside to accommodate the group.

The children, however, didn't seem to be enjoying the get together quite as much. Ella sat between Rosa and Grey, right across the long table from both Pax and Jasper, whom everyone had assumed would want to sit together. Neither had spoken up about why they wouldn't want to, or anything else for that matter. None of them had spoken, save for asking something to be passed.

As a roar of laughter died down, Logan cleared his throat and looked to his son. "Everything okay down there?"

Pax looked up at his father. "Yeah."

Logan persisted. "You need anything? More fruit, pancakes, bacon?" he tried.

"We're good," he assured.

"What's with you guys being so quiet? You've listened to us regale you with all the stories of our college days, aren't you going to fill us in on what the young kids pass for fun now?" he used his old crotchety voice, making an effort to crack the tension at the other end of the table.

"Same old, same old," Pax shrugged. "The night before classes started, we got Jasper to pose for a reenactment shot of Uncle Finn's infamous naked atop Dan photo."

A howl of laughter came from the fathers—even the mothers had to smirk, though Jasper's mother seemed more than ruffled.

"Did you at least disinfect the thing first?" Katherine asked.

"It's bronze," Amy assured her. "It was the bronze one, not the stuffed one, right?" she turned to Finn.

"The original plan was to break into the case that the stuffed Dan was in," Finn imparted. "But it was rather cold that night," he led.

Katherine giggled. "Didn't want shrinkage to affect your posterity?"

"I have my pride," Finn sat up straighter.

"And they wonder why we get quiet at these things," Rosa whispered to Ella, who giggled.

"At least my parents haven't really started in," Ella piped up.

"No, Rory here was too on the straight and narrow to be a part of anything quite as scandalous as hanging with our crowd," Logan shook his head.

Tristan snorted. "Clearly she had you all fooled."

"Tristan," Rory warned.

"What? It's a cute remembrance of the past. And to my knowledge, no photographic evidence remains," he chuckled.

"Now you have to tell," Colin piped up. "We all thought Gilmore was all work and no play."

"Hardly," Rory scoffed. "I know how to have fun."

"Prove it," Logan tested.

"I'd talked her into going to this frat party," Tristan began.

"Wait, you went to a frat party, but turned down our invites? Now I'm hurt," Finn slumped back against his wife's arm.

"I'll have you know he tricked me," Rory crossed her arms. "He said it was a fundraising event."

"And did I lie? No," Tristan smirked.

"Raising funds for the next keg wasn't quite what I had in mind," Rory grumbled.

"To say she got trashed was an understatement," Tristan chuckled.

"Our kids are here," she warned as her cheeks flushed crimson.

"Every time I thought she was gonna fall down, she just kept asking me to take her swimming. The drunker she got, the more she wanted to swim. So, we're in New Haven, at two in the morning in the middle of winter," he continued.

"Oh God," Rory put her napkin up over her face.

"So, I'm carrying her on my back after she nearly fell down the stairs, and we leave in search of the only pool I can think of that won't give us hypothermia."

"No!" Logan made the same conclusion that Tristan had that very night.

"Oh yeah. I picked the lock to the pool at the rec center," his laugher was now body shaking as Rory attempted to shrink her own body. "As soon as I let her down, she starts stripping off her clothes."

Another howl from the guys. Rory, at this point, couldn't even look toward her children.

"Evidently by swimming, she meant skinny dipping."

"If you say any more, I will divorce you," she threatened.

"I'm sure they can use their imaginations," he kissed her still flaming cheek.

"Don't worry, we all did crap like that in college," Amy assured Rory. "We were just lucky enough not to have our husbands there with us, to never let us forget it. And these three would make sure our indiscretions were brought up on a weekly basis."

"Yeah, but the three of us were there," Katherine piped up.

"Don't you dare," Amy shot her a look.

"What? I'm sure that everyone here can relate to playing strip poker, and ending up in the room of someone whose name you don't know," Katherine couldn't contain her giggles.

"I don't think you should have started this," Miel piped up.

"Do not make me bring up your near arrest for indecent exposure!" Amy threatened.

"I had no idea you all were so naked in college," Colin wrapped his arm around his wife. "Did you get in on the naked fun?"

"It's not like we were naked together," Miel rolled her eyes. "The only thing we really did together that was illegal was the stalking," she clapped a hand over her mouth after she said it.

"Stalking?" Logan turned to his wife. "Really?"

"Not stalking, just, appreciating."

"From a closer distance," Katherine defended.

"Whom did you stalk?" Finn asked.

"Just a couple of actors—there was a film shoot in Philadelphia, and we managed to sneak on set. It wasn't a big deal," Amy said.

"We really need to work to catch up with our parents' misdeeds," Rosa turned to Ella. "Whom should we stalk?"

Ella giggled. "Who's on your list?"

Rosa opened her mouth to speak, but her mother shook her head. "You're too young to have a list. Or to, um, stalk," she said with hesitation, as if it were an afterthought.

"Now, in the light of your misdeeds, is my not having picked a major yet so bad?" Grey asked his mother.

"Yes," she scowled. "I had a major the whole time I was on that movie set."

"In fact, it was her photojournalistic background that helped us get some great memories and look the part," Amy piped in.

Rosa's Blackberry buzzed in her bag, and she picked it up as the adults continued on with their line of admittedly rather shocking revelations. Who knew parents ever had fun? She couldn't help but smile as she read over the email she had just received.

"Is it necessary to do that now?" Miel asked.

"Sorry, it's about a project I'm doing," she tucked the device back down on her lap.

"You don't have to hide your boyfriend from Mom," Grey said, causing Ella to have to stifle a giggle.

"Boyfriend? Why haven't we met him?"

"I don't have a boyfriend," Rosa growled at her brother before looking to her expectant parents. "I don't have a boyfriend."

Rory leaned toward Ella. "Is this about Ambrose?"

"You told your Mom?" Rosa asked, clearly displeased.

"I had to get her talking about something else," she nodded her head across the table toward the topic of earlier discussions over a half-empty tub of ice cream.

"What was that?" Logan noted the supposed-to-be-undetectable nod.

"Nothing," all of the kids said at once.

"Well, if anything is believable," Logan looked to Rory. "You know what's going on?"

"Dad, drop it," Pax offered.

"Logan, I don't think now is the best time," Rory looked apologetically to her daughter.

"Is something going on with Ella and one of our boys?" Amy asked.

"She's carrying my love child," Grey announced, making his mother pale and his father's eyes bug out of his head.

"What's a heart attack feel like?" Miel asked.

"Can no one take a joke?" Grey muttered.

"I was more wondering why Pax and Jasper haven't even so much exchanged a glance this whole time," Logan inquired.

"You two are fighting?" Katherine grilled her son. "You two never fight!"

"We aren't fighting," Jasper said, finally glancing at Pax.

"What's going on, then?" Amy asked.

"Nothing," Pax told his mother before looking to Ella. "Nothing at all."

"Someone better speak up real quick," Logan said loudly. "With the truth."

"It's all my fault," Ella spoke quickly, with as much grace as she could muster. "I was dating them and now I'm not. It's all very recent and I'd appreciate not discussing it now."

Eyes went wide on the parts of those not in the know.

"Them, as in," Katherine began.

"Both of them," Ella nodded and pointed to the two that stared at their plates.

"Oh my," Amy frowned.

"This can't be good," Miel put one hand to her forehead.

"We should appreciate the delicacy of the young woman," Finn stated. "Perhaps we should all just head to the Family Picnic—it'll be starting on the Quad in a bit."

"Could I get a moment alone with my daughter?" Tristan asked.

"I think I'd like a word with my son, as well," Amy didn't sound so pleased.

Jasper looked to his mom, whose expression said it all. "Don't even think you're getting out of this."

He sighed, and each child got up to follow their respective parent out to a place where they could be 'alone.'

"Well, this is nice and awkward," Rory shifted in her seat.

"You knew about this?" Logan asked.

"Well," she cringed.

"See, now if you'd just have talked about your boyfriend, none of this would have happened," Grey nudged his sister, who was sneaking looks at the screen.

"What boyfriend?" Miel cried out.

"He's just a friend. It's Jake's best friend, I went to New York to case study his family for my Soc project."

Miel looked to Jake. "He's your age?"

Jake nodded, causing Miel's giggles to start.

"What?" Rosa demanded.

"Nothing, now I just know it's true that you aren't dating him."

"What would be so funny about it, if I were?" her irritation was quick.

"Nothing, I'm sure he's very nice, but you don't tend to even realize there are people younger than you—you've always had eyes for the older guys. You get that from me."

"I don't think I want to hear about this," Colin announced.

"Ambrose is a great guy—I don't even notice the age difference when I'm with him," Rosa defended.

Miel was taken aback. "Oh, really?"

"Sounds serious to me," Grey muttered under his breath.

"Drama," Rosa coughed into her napkin.

The group in the dining room continued on, losing track of the time that was passing much more slowly for the selected pairs.

XXXX

"You and Jasper never fight. Even when you got in trouble because of the other one when you were little, you stuck together like glue," Amy reminded her son.

"We aren't fighting. It's just different, that's all."

"Because of Rory and Tristan's daughter?"

"Sort of," he shrugged.

"Paxton Elliot, I'm not kidding here. He's your best friend, and it's not like you to toss a life-long friendship to the way-side because of some girl."

"First of all, that's not what happened," he got defensive.

"Then enlighten me. Please."

"I don't want to talk about it."

"Too bad."

He sighed. "I've talked to Jasper. Things aren't great right now, but they might get better."

"Great job of describing what happened," she rolled her green eyes.

"We were both dating her. I bowed out—she was upset, he got pissed—and now here we are."

"Why were you both dating the same girl? That's best friend kryptonite," she threw her hands in the air.

"She was interested in us both, and it's like I couldn't," he searched for the right word for a moment, "I couldn't stop myself, no matter how much I told myself it was a dumb thing to do."

"You really like her, huh?" she shielded the sun now from her eyes with the back of her hand.

"It doesn't matter. I saw what it was doing to me and Jas, and," he made a motion of finality with his hands.

"Damn that noble Huntzberger blood," she groaned. "So, he's serious about her too?"

"I don't know."

"What? He could just be out for a bit of fun," she gaped.

"I get the feeling he really likes her—I just didn't want to hear him say it."

"Oh, Pax," she pulled him in for a hug, hating to see her son like this. Stoic, like his father, but hurting nonetheless.

XXXX

"What possessed you to date the same girl as your best friend? Do you know how monumentally idiotic that is?"

"You dated Dad after he hit on Aunt Amy," he pointed out.

"That was different. She turned him down, and he was drunk," she frowned. "I take it neither of you were drunk when asking out Ella?"

"No, well, I wasn't," he said, earning a look of appraisal from his mother. "What? I wasn't," he assured her.

"Fine. But you had to be on drugs to think that dating the same girl that Pax was dating was going to end well. Someone had to get hurt."

"Well, now we all are, so it's all fair," he commented snidely.

"Hey, don't take that tone with me, this isn't my fault."

"Pax dumped her, because he was falling in love with her—not that he bothered to tell her that—and he did it for me. How am I supposed to be with her after that revelation?" he erupted.

"He, oh, and you? Dear," she shuddered at all the information he tossed her way. "I'm sorry," she said honestly.

"I'm fine," he shrugged.

"You are not. And you're not my kid if you let this girl go when you don't want to," she reminded.

"She was upset about Pax, and I'm not her consolation prize," he raised his voice again.

"That's right, you're not. And all you have to do is make her see that," Katherine smiled as she rubbed his arm. "Now, tell me all about Rosa's boyfriend," she said, with the 'give me the dish' lilt to her voice.

XXXX

"You want to go home?" Tristan asked.

"Home to what?" Ella asked, reminding him that going home now involved a trip back in the car lasting over three hours and landing them in an two-story brick home laced with boxes that contained their possessions.

"Stars Hollow? Lorelai's good at this kind of thing," he offered. "I'm sure she's restocked the junk food, she doesn't survive long without it in large quantity."

"No, Mom's right, I have to face it," she bit her lip.

"Your mother is always right," he sighed. "We did the brunch thing, we don't have to spend the whole rest of the day with them. We can get our own car," he offered.

"Daddy," she sighed.

"I can afford something more expensive than that pitiful thing," he motioned to the other side of the building where the stretch Hummer was no doubt parked at the ready.

"I'm fine. Now that everyone knows, we can move on. Right?"

"That's one way to look at it. But this day is going to get worse. You know your mother's obligation meetings don't end here," he led.

"You're kidding. Paris and Marty are coming?"

Tristan nodded. "Which means…."

"Revenge of the original roommate!" Ella groaned. "That girl is seriously messed up and clingy," she informed.

"Maybe you should just get an apartment to yourself next year, might be safer," he kissed the top of her head.

"Well, at least if I can live through this without dying of humiliation, seeing Jane is stomachable. What's the worst that can happen?" she sighed.

"And Marty's not a bad guy. He put up with Paris for all this time, after all," Tristan sighed. "But after that, we're going to a nice, quiet family dinner. Anywhere you want."

"Anywhere I want?" she asked.

Tristan nodded.

"'Cause there's this castle, in Geneva, NY, and they have the best chocolate cake," she wrinkled her nose in hope.

"I think you deserve some chocolate cake," he slung his arm around her and they began the slow walk back toward the restaurant.

XXXX

"So, it was from Ambrose?" Jake asked as the adults had moved onto other topics. He'd slid into his sister's seat.

"Yeah," Rosa nodded.

"How's he doing?" he inquired.

"He's good. He, uh, asked if he could come and visit soon."

Jake raised an eyebrow. "Huh."

"He wants to check out the campus again," she couldn't help but smile.

"You buy lines like that?" Jake asked honestly.

"Lines?" Rosa shook her head, confused.

"He's only ever considered NYU," he informed her, "when he considers college at all."

"He has to go to college," Rosa defended. "He's brilliant."

"I agree. Maybe he'll believe you."

"I can be very convincing," she tossed her hair off to one side.

"Oh, I don't doubt that," he said, able to see the look on his best friend's face as he talked about the wonder that was this girl.

XXXX

Pax trailed behind his mother toward the door to the restaurant, only to see Tristan and Ella coming from the opposite direction. He halted as his eyes met Ella's. Both parents stopped walking as they noticed the deer-in-headlights nature of the opposite child.

"Maybe we should, uh," Amy looked back from her son to Tristan.

"Yeah. We'll just," he pointed to the interior of the building before giving his daughter's hand a squeeze.

Once their parents had returned to the cool interior, Ella squinted at the sun as Pax stood, shifting his weight from one foot to another.

"Could we maybe go somewhere besides the front door?" she asked.

"We should probably just get back in there," he offered to skip this bout of discomfort and go for grand denial.

She pointed to the side of the building near the car they had all arrived in. "Come on," she stepped away, leaving him little to no choice but to follow.

"I got the distinct impression you weren't speaking to me," he looked her in the eye, still a bit in shock to find himself alone, in grasp of her.

"I don't want it to be like that," she shook her head.

"Me either," he admitted.

"I've been thinking about it, and if we can just be honest with each other, then it'll make it easier—for everyone."

Pax nodded; realizing the degree of difficulty in knowing what she said to be true and executing it.

"And," she took a deep breath, "I got the distinct impression you weren't being wholly forthcoming with me the other day."

"Just because you don't want to believe what I said, doesn't make it false," he leaned back against the car door.

"Is it all because of Jasper? Because you couldn't even look me in the eyes when you said that stuff about not wanting to be committed to me," she tested.

"I can't stop you from believing what you want to believe. No matter what that is, it doesn't really change the outcome, does it?" he asked, swallowing the words that leapt up in his throat—the ones that told her the whole truth. The ones that would complicate things even worse.

"Why are you being like this? This isn't you," she narrowed her eyes and frowned, at the ready to back away.

"What do you want from me?"

"The truth," she groaned in frustration.

"You've got it. Let me know when it's enough," he started to walk away, only to see his best friend as the first one out of the building. Jasper had clearly seen them as they talked—nay, went round and round in painful circles—and by the look of his face, going with his gut and just avoiding this chat with Ella would have been the right thing. He only stared at his best friend as they were joined by the uproarious crowd, piling into the vehicle without a word to anyone, unable to stop the momentum of the day.

Like a wreaked train that persisted on, waiting for something more crippling to take it out of commission.


	49. Chapter 49

AN: Yep, it's been too long. Yep, I've not been able to fit all the story lines in each chapter due to the family weekend debacle. I will get back to ALL of them. I'm having trouble getting all I want into each chapter lately, and I'm now juggling four fics, which is above my normal limit. Thanks to you all for patience, your continuing support, and I hope you enjoy.

"Why do we have this," Finn raised up his red, plastic cup, "only once a year?"

"It's tradition," Amy reminded. "Like eggnog at Christmas."

"And it's hard enough to keep certain people out of jail," Katherine stroked her husband's arm lovingly.

"The last time the Huntzberger Family Recipe landed us in jail was…," Finn began, doing his best to think back.

"Here we go," Miel shook her head, remembering exactly how long it'd taken to convince the bailiff that the boys weren't flight risks or dangerous to themselves or others.

"Actually, I don't recall a time that this led to our unfortunate incarceration."

"Why, I'm shocked," Amy rolled her eyes.

"I'm starting to think you ladies are making this up," Colin agreed with Finn.

"I do remember waking up with ink all over my hands and face a couple of years ago," Logan mused.

"Because someone wouldn't let me wash it off," Amy smirked.

"Is that when Dad was running around yelling about someone trying to clone him?" Pax asked.

"Yeeeeeep," Amy drawled.

"I did no such thing," Logan shook his head.

"Now that does sound familiar. Did they strip search us, too? I definitely remember being probed and prodded—I thought I'd been abducted by aliens, or something of that nature," Finn asked, taking another swig.

"And I think it's time to cut you off," Katherine took his red cup from him, hiding it behind her back on the ground.

"They strip searched you, because you kept yelling, 'give me anarchy or give me death!'" Miel informed Finn. "And they were fairly sure you were concealing a gun on your person," she giggled.

"I hate guns," he took great offence, despite his efforts to retrieve his glass. "I'm a lover, not a fighter," he reminded.

"I think the lover in you was the part that concerned them," Amy giggled, joining Miel. "Besides, I believe it was Colin that alluded to the bulge being a gun."

"Did he keep asking him if he was happy to see him?" Logan scratched his head.

"Well, at least our folks know how to make a good impression," Rosa shuddered, looking to Rory and Tristan, who were listening intently to the remembrances. "Please don't pull Ella out of my room. You can see I need the support of someone stable in my life."

Rory giggled. "It's okay, honey, I've known all about the idiocy of this group of men for a long time."

"Then perhaps you should make this brew more often, we'd be less likely to over-imbibe," Finn wouldn't let the subject drop.

"Finn, it takes a long time to make," Amy sighed. "And it's tradition. The whole point of it," she began, eyeing Logan.

"Fine, then give us the recipe. Take the burden off of yourself," Colin offered.

"His mother had an FBI profile run on me before she gave me the recipe," Amy narrowed her eyes. "You can't just give it away."

"When do we get a taste of this infamous drink?" Jasper asked. "We are nearly twenty-one."

"Nearly," Katherine reminded. "You can't handle it yet."

"It's just alcohol," Pax broke in.

"It's definitely not just alcohol," Finn sniffed the glass his wife had gotten tired of keeping out of reach from him. "I'm guessing fruit juice is involved."

"Forget it, Finn," Amy sighed.

"Stoli?" he attempted.

Amy simply raised an eyebrow.

"What? Tell me I'm not family," he stuck out his lower lip, giving her his best attempt at puppy dog eyes as he could.

"Never," she said, completely unaffected. "That look only works on her, God bless her," she blew a kiss at Katherine.

"Just tell me we're about out," Miel said. "That booking officer said next time we better make sure they were in a different jurisdiction, or they'd all be spending time in the slammer."

"We're fine," Logan assured her.

"Besides, this stuff can't be more than four percent alcohol," Tristan said, raising it up to his lips again. "It tastes like raspberry lemonade," he commented.

"We get that a lot," Amy said. "And for my life, I can't figure out why."

"It kind of reminds me of Patty's Founders' Day punch," Rory said, taking another sip.

"Uh-oh," Ella said. "That just leads to trouble," she informed Rosa.

"Someone spikes punch at a town festival? What if an unknowing kid gets a hold of some?"

"Trust me, no one in Stars Hollow is unknowing about this punch," Rory giggled. "Well, not for long."

"You could have told me before, and perhaps my reaction time wouldn't have been dulled," Tristan said, seemingly still bitter about the incident that still caused his wife to giggle.

"You came out of it unscathed," she said, unconvincingly. "Well, no physical scars," she amended.

"Dad had a bad reaction to the punch?" Jake asked, his eyebrows raised in amusement.

"Not the punch, the punch maker," Tristan uttered, shuddering.

"Patty saw him taking his virgin sip," Rory giggled. "That's what she likes to call it when first timers, you know, anyhow," she continued laughing. "Tristan had about a cup of it in him, really quick, and his back was turned, and," she tried to continue, but couldn't.

"And what? What happened?" Ella asked.

"Patty molested me," Tristan nearly growled at his wife.

"Ohmigod," Ella choked on the soda that had taken a wrong turn on the way down her throat, and Jake actually sprayed some out his nose in his surprise.

"She didn't molest you," Rory defended.

"She cupped me, Rory," he shot back.

"She's not your type?" Finn asked.

"She's about three hundred pounds and more than old enough to be my mother."

"Sweet Jesus," Finn looked into his cup, now worried.

"Don't worry, I won't let any big, horny, old women near you," Katherine laughed, both at her husband and the story.

"It wouldn't have been so bad, if you didn't just stand there for so long," Rory continued.

"WHAT?" Jake asked. "You let Ms. Patty—God!"

"I thought it was her!" Tristan cried, pointing to Rory.

"Like I would ever do that in public," Rory snorted.

"She just said, 'like I would do that at all,' right?" Ella turned to her friend.

"'Fraid not," Rosa patted her arm.

"And I think it's time to mingle," Ella said, standing up to brush the grass off her pants. "Uh-oh," she said.

"What?" Rory craned up to look at her daughter.

"Incoming," she said.

"Who?" Tristan asked, still disgruntled, but looking the way his daughter's head was turned.

"Paris and Marty," Ella whispered. "But no Jane?"

Rory looked to Tristan. "Speaking of drunken boys who do stupid things."

"Oh, that's right. He did something way worse than I've ever done. Let's get them over here," he stood up and waved the determined-looking blonde and easy-going brunette over. Rory stood up and let Marty kiss her cheek before making the round of introductions.

"Paris, Marty, I think you both remember Logan Huntzberger?"

"Unfortunately," Paris said as Marty smiled meekly.

"Paris," Rory chastised.

"What? I'm just surprised he's not in rehab or a white-collar lock-up facility. Lovely to see you out among the little people," she stuck out her hand cordially.

"I see you're exactly the same, Paris," Logan sighed. "Marty, Rory was just mentioning you."

"Was she?" Marty eyed his old friend nervously.

"They were talking about the dumb things they did when inebriated," Jake piped up.

"Perhaps we should go," Marty said, trying to remain jocular.

"So you were naked in a hallway, I'm sure the Brat Pack here were naked for much longer than one night and had full-body contact with grosser things than a regularly cleaned hallway," Paris barked.

"So true," Colin said, turning to Finn. "CeCe Lyons?"

"Bleh," Finn shuddered. "Some things you're never drunk enough for," he advised.

"So," Rory piped up. "Where's Jane?"

"She was supposed to meet us back at the car five minutes ago. I'm going to call her again," Paris said, clearly put out.

"Give her a break, will you? It's not like she shaved her head and got herself pierced."

"Paris doesn't care about piercings—she got her nose pierced once," Rory offered.

"You what?" Marty asked, turning to his wife with a level of amusement on his face unparalleled to none.

"Thank you, Rory," Paris glared.

"No problem," she smiled sweetly. "So, what's wrong with Jane?"

"She has a boyfriend," her parents said together, each with polar opposite tone.

"He's fine," Marty said.

"He's a hayseed," Paris said. "He's not even in real college; he's in fake, loser college."

"Community college is a great step for those who need to hike up their grades or save money," Marty corrected. "There is nothing wrong with working your way up."

"He's just dragging her down. I saw her eating a bagel this morning."

"Oh, the humanity," Rory cried softly, causing her daughter to giggle.

"This isn't funny. I was very careful, her whole life, to instill standards and set examples," Paris began.

Rory patted her son on the shoulder. "Really? 'Cause I just let them run around with scissors snorting coke off the table through straws… they seem fine to me," she looked at her daughter with a wink.

"You're so funny," Paris sighed.

"She's a little funny. A bagel isn't going to kill her," Logan offered.

"It's a gateway food," Paris shot back. "Next she'll be ordering pizza at two in the morning and sleeping through class."

"Is it me, or is she describing the second semester of our junior year?" Colin asked, taking another long swig from his cup.

"Shush, I think she might hurt you," Miel whispered into her husband's ear. "Or stay around longer to explain to you the dumbing effects of pizza crust on a teenager's brain."

"Here she comes," Marty spoke up. "Be nice," he said in a low tone to his wife.

"Whatever," she huffed, crossing her arms over her chest.

"Over here, Hon," Marty called out to his daughter, who was just emerging through the crowd of proud parents and current Yale students.

"No," Ella said, backing up a bit.

Her face paled, even despite the fact that they'd spent the last two hours in the sun. Rory leaned over to see what had spooked her.

"Oh no," she muttered under her breath. "Els," she put an arm around her.

"Jane, meet some, um, people that were here when we were," Paris said diplomatically.

"So, this is what it looks like when Paris spawns," Logan muttered to Finn, earning each a pinch from their wives.

"You owe me fifty bucks, I see no horns," Finn breathed back.

"And this is her boyfriend, William," Paris continued, clearly not even listening to the side conversations.

Rosa glanced at her friend. "You okay?" she leaned in, watching all the events unfold.

"Mom, it's Billy, I told you, not William."

"No one names their kid Billy. It's short for something. If not William, then Bill?" she eyed the boy.

Billy Melville shook his head, terrified not to meet her eyes. He was also fairly terrified to look at the girl who appeared to have seen a ghost, so it wasn't like he had a lot of options.

"Mom, stop," Jane sighed. "Ella, hey," she said in a rather stilted manner.

"Hey," Ella managed, her composure rather in tact.

"I've been meaning to ask you," Paris began at Ella. "How was it that your rooms got switched? Jane was supposed to room with you," she said with all authority.

"Actually, all that happened was a clerical error got corrected," Rosa spoke up.

"It just didn't work out," Ella supplied. "Hey, Billy."

He finally looked directly at her. "Hey."

"You're kidding me here, right?"

"Ella," he said softly. "It's not like you think."

"I think I was right all along. That you probably didn't wait half a second to ask her out once we were through."

"That's not true," he protested. "I loved you, Ella, you were the one who cheated on me, with that preppy, rich," he pointed at Pax.

"Don't talk about him like you know him," she stepped up to him as all the adults watched in silent horror.

"It's not him I thought I knew," he yelled back.

"You knew me, which is why it's crap that you'd think I'd cheat on you!" she erupted.

"I saw you! I saw him looking at you, and the way you looked at him—you never looked at me like that," the hurt swept through him.

"Maybe it was because he didn't flirt with other girls in front of me!" she accused.

"Do something," Rory nudged Tristan in the ribs.

"Look, kids," he cleared his throat.

"Daddy, let me handle this," Ella said with ferocity.

"I'm gonna let her handle this," he whispered to Rory.

"You know, they said you were gay now, and at first I couldn't see it, but now I get the confusion."

"I love this girl," Finn whispered to Colin.

"Jane is great, and just because you couldn't look beyond yourself for a second to realize that," he yelled back. "Wait, gay? Who said I was gay?"

"Your mom told Grandma Lorelai," she rolled her eyes at the fact that he defended Jane before registering the gay thing.

"Wait, my mom… my mom thinks I'm gay," he said with realization. "Oh my God, they're insane," he pontificated.

"Maybe you were right about the community college thing," Marty leaned into his wife, unable to hold the comment in.

"No one ever wants to listen to me," Paris huffed.

"No, you're insane! Why on earth would you think it was okay to show up here, today, knowing I'd be here," she went on at Billy, ignoring all side conversations.

"I've been here nearly every day since school started, why should today be any different?" he vented.

"You don't belong here, remember? You said it yourself!"

"Yeah, but you believed it," he accused.

Ella turned and fled, pushing through the crowd of people enjoying their grilled meals and a game of softball on the far end of the meadow. Pax made haste in tailing her, trying his best to follow in the wake she left so as not to re-smack into all the same bewildered people. Rosa followed him without thought; feeling that if there was anyone she probably wouldn't feel comforted by right now, it was Pax.

"I thought you said you were over her," Jane stared slack-jawed at her boyfriend, who had just finished a very passionate display in a very public way with his ex.

He looked at her for a moment before moving to head the way of the others.

XXXX

"Are you going to order something?"

Kirk looked up at Luke, who was standing over him and looking rather annoyed.

"I haven't decided yet."

"You need some more time?" Luke asked, seemingly understanding all of a sudden.

"Yes."

"More time, sure. How about a menu? You need a menu?"

"Yes, a menu might help."

"You need time and a menu," Luke nodded. "Get out."

"It's bad business to kick out the indecisive," Kirk complained.

"You've been coming here for thirty years. My menu hasn't changed since my son was born. You've eaten every combination of every item I serve. And suddenly today you need a refresher?"

"I had a small stroke?" he offered.

"I repeat, get out."

"A cup of coffee."

"To-go."

"No!" Kirk stood up, rather close to Luke. "I need to talk to you."

Luke shuffled back from Kirk, but he just advanced on him. "If you say in private, I'm getting mace."

"No! Not in private. The more public the better, in fact. Maybe I should come back, it seems to be a lull right now. When would you say is your consistently busiest time?" he inquired.

"I don't have time for this," he sighed, turning and disappearing back into the kitchen. When he came back, Kirk hadn't moved, but he did look to be on the verge of wetting his pants.

"What?" he barked.

"I have something to tell you."

"Then say it," Luke instructed.

"You're not going to like it," he warned.

"I'm a big boy, Kirk, just spit it out."

"You're gonna hit me."

"I won't hit you," he sighed.

"You'll ban me from eating here ever again, and I'll starve."

"I won't ban you—if I haven't yet, I can't imagine what would cause me to now," he assured.

"You'll tell everyone in town that I'm crazy, and no one will let me work in this town again!"

"KIRK!"

"Okay, okay, I'll tell you."

"I'd do a dance of joy, but I'm too tired," he sighed.

"Maybe you should sit down. Wait, do you mind if we clear all the knives out of here first?"

"Where would you put them?"

"The knives?"

"Yes, the knives."

"I hadn't thought that far. The town square, maybe?"

"You're gonna pile all my knives in the town square? What is it you have to tell me, that we're gonna reenact _Saw_ in the town square this Halloween?"

"There is a reason you aren't allowed to be on the planning commission for town events, Luke. That's the least family-friendly idea I've ever heard—though it might make a good independent film," he got lost in thought before noticing Luke's face growing more impatient. "We can talk about that later, though. Sit, please."

Luke sat, but his scowl remained.

"Okay, so you know I've been helping with the move at the courthouse?"

"Sure," Luke nodded, not caring at all.

"Well, we moved the last bits of the files over, the stuff that had been shoved into the back. It was interesting, they were completely covered in dust, and no one knew what they were—it seems Taylor had print outs of the transcripts from every phone call that occurred in town from 1989 until 2003," he shook his head.

"He WHAT?" Luke's mouth gaped open.

"Of course, we're not at liberty to discuss that," he coughed.

"Kirk, that's illegal," he began.

"You're missing the point. We were moving these files, when we found something, um, interesting."

"More interesting than proof that Taylor was crazier than any of us thought?" Luke gaped.

"Sort of, I mean, it depends on your definition of interesting. For instance, finding out that vegetables cry when ripped from the earth is interesting to some people," he began.

"Kirk, unless you found Jimmy Hoffa back there, nothing can trump this," he barked.

"We found your petition for a marriage license."

"What do you mean, my petition for a marriage license?"

"Just what I said. It had been lodged behind several filing cabinets."

"It ceased to be a petition once we were married," Luke explained.

"Only if it's signed by all the proper people," Kirk shook his head. "Unless it's notarized and signed, then it's just a useless petition, signifying intent only."

"Wait—you're saying it wasn't notarized? Kirk, you said you were going to do it yourself!"

"Did I? Are you sure? Because it's been so many years, who can remember who said what?"

"I remember distinctly, I told Lorelai to let someone else do it, because you would louse up our wedding day. But she begged me, telling me how much it seemed to mean to you, and that no one could louse up our wedding day," he began to rant.

"She's a lovely woman, that Lorelai. She would have made a fine wife," Kirk smiled sadly.

"SHE'S MADE A FINE WIFE!" Luke erupted.

"Actually, Connecticut doesn't recognize common law situations, so she's made a good life partner," he corrected.

"WHAT?"

"It's the politically correct term, I believe. I can check my DVDs of _Will and Grace_, but I just have to get them back from Sookie first," he hemmed.

"You're honestly standing there, in my knife-filled diner, telling me that I'm not married to my own wife?"

"That does seem to be the case," Kirk swallowed.

"File it," Luke gritted out through clenched teeth.

"I thought of that," he squeaked. "But it expired after ninety days."

"Do it anyhow," he urged.

"I tried! I told them you'd kill me or anyone who told you this, and that it would be safer to just do it and look the other way, but they said we couldn't do it without both parties' consent."

"You have it! We've been married, or whatever, for the last twenty-three years! We've consented and consummated, and all those good things they like to hear!"

"I can't, Luke. You both have to come in, file another petition, and get married. Do you want me to tell Lorelai, too?"

Luke blinked, his whole world spinning at a rate that made him suddenly dizzy. "Not even a knife-less world could save you, if you did," he shook his head. "No, I'll do it. I'll tell her."

"You hate me now."

"No, Kirk," he blinked.

"I would hate me," he offered.

"Kirk, if I were you, I'd take the opportunity that is my state of shock to leave and find an assumed name. Because in about five minutes, I'm gonna come looking for you."

"You're a good man, Luke Danes," Kirk yelped, fleeing the diner as fast as his feet would take him.

"This is not going to end well," he muttered to himself, as he moved to climb the steps up to his office, in search for his baseball bat that Lorelai had claimed didn't match the décor at her house when he'd first moved in so many years ago—most of those years that he'd spent under the blissful cover of married life.

XXXX

Ella stood, shaking and wondering why the tears hadn't started. She ran until she was out of the crowd, away from anyone that might have witnessed her ordeal. Or so she thought.

"Are you okay?"

"Leave me alone," she sighed.

"Ella, come on," he was behind her, so close to her. His hands were on her shoulders, his chest pressed into her back. "I feel partially responsible."

"For what?" she turned her head halfway back.

"I'm not sure," he leaned his head down toward her shoulder. "Ella, I," his voice broke.

"Excuse us, will you?" Billy said from behind them. When they turned, they saw Rosa standing, looking rather sheepish, next to Billy.

"I think you've done enough for today," Pax informed him, his arm not leaving Ella's shoulders.

"I don't need you to do this," she told Pax. "Go back to your girlfriend," she aimed at Billy.

When no one moved, Rosa took a step forward. "You both heard her! Go, shoo, beat it!"

Billy kept his eyes on Ella. "So, this is who you're with now?"

"That's none of your business," she crossed her arms over her chest.

"I mean, I guess I should be thanking you, for cheating on me, or else I wouldn't be with Jane," he dug.

"I suggest if you want to continue discussing this, you and I go off by ourselves for a little chat," Pax stepped closer to Billy.

"Okay, you know what," Ella turned on Pax.

"Everyone with a Y chromosome needs to get at least 100 feet away," Rosa yelled. "You, go back to your girlfriend, and you," she poked at Pax. "What is wrong with you? Does your brain clue you into the right thing to do, then you just do the exact opposite?"

"Rose," he groaned. "I need to talk to Ella," he turned to face Ella. "I need to talk to you."

"No, I need to talk to her," Billy erupted.

"What about what she wants, huh? Are either of you even the slightest bit concerned as to what it is that Ella needs right now?" Rosa waited for a response. "Yeah, I thought so. Go!" she commanded.

When both boys left, walking in opposite directions, Rosa moved to Ella and grabbed her hand, giving it a supportive squeeze.

"Thank you," she breathed.

"Hey, us girls have to stick together, right?"

"Tell me you have some kind of escape pod to instantly transport us away from here," Ella looked hopeful.

"No, but I can assure you that rock bottom has been hit. It can only get better from here. Why don't you come to this party with me tonight? Your folks will be at the alumni shindig anyhow, I know you're free."

"You have a date," Ella reminded her. "I don't want to be a third wheel—I've had quite enough of that of late."

"He surely has one non-offensive friend. One that can dance, anyhow," she offered.

"Why are you even going on a date with this guy, anyway? I know he isn't the guy you've been thinking about lately."

"He asked me out, and I have nothing in my life that dictated me saying no."

"It makes no sense that you've been checking your email five hundred times a day, wanting to hear from Ambrose, but agreeing to go out with some guy at the last minute like this. A guy that you aren't even excited to go out with!"

"Okay, I think we need to handle one thing at a time here," Rosa held up her hands, starting to laugh. "My love life, while just as dysfunctional as yours, isn't erupting in our laps. Yours is, so let's go back to the picnic, heads held high, and make sure no one has ripped anyone else's head off."

"Right," Ella nodded with assurance. Before they could take a step, she turned to her friend. "Do we really have to?"

"Yes," Rosa scolded. "Now, let's go."


	50. Chapter 50

AN: CHAPTER 50! Can't believe it. And here I told K in the beginning that I wasn't sure what I could even write about with this bunch…Silly rabbit. So, to commemorate the longest fic I've ever written on its 50th chapter, I'm hitting all the ships/situations, what have you. So, it's long. Mega-long. Don't get used to it. But this isn't the end of parents' weekend, just the continuation. Enjoy and by the way, I really like reviews. They make me happy, and you guys rock at writing them. It's a win-win, right?

* * *

Rosa and Ella approached the large blanket that still housed the spread of food and drink that had been their mid-day meal, only to find less-upright parents and Greyson. All extras had gone their own way—and Ella was glad not to ask of their whereabouts. It was clear that something had their attention, and upon further inspection, the girls were soon witness to the fact that Jasper, Pax, and Jake had joined up with a group of boys playing Ultimate Frisbee in the far side of the lawn.

Sitting down next to Grey, Ella leaned in and spoke at a whisper. "Why aren't you playing?"

"No girl enjoys a black eye, and I plan on going out tonight."

"Black eyes? They're just playing fris—OH!" she shuddered and ducked behind Grey's shoulder as Pax tackled Jasper to the ground. "Why did he do that?"

"Well, see, he was defending him, and," Grey began.

"It looked rather offensive to me," Ella frowned.

"No, Jasper was playing offense."

"He's the one that got tackled!" Ella pointed, clearly distressed.

"Have you ever watched a game of sport in your whole life?" he sighed, exasperated.

"Yes, but that's just barbaric. It's Frisbee, not football."

"Well, this is very similar. The offense tries to make it to that goal line," he pointed to the area near where the boys had fallen a moment ago, "and the defense tries to stop them. Like Pax just did."

"So, what Pax did was good?" she asked in disbelief.

"Yes," Grey began. "Well, in the game."

"Aren't they getting a little rough?" Amy winced as she watched her son get elbowed hard in the ribs.

"They're boys," Logan sighed, rubbing his hand over her back.

"Okay, that can't have been good," Ella protested as the boys were once again on the ground. It was unclear who had instigated the fall, and from the looks on their faces when they got up, this wasn't the last time they'd go down.

"Whose idea was this?" Rosa asked.

"A group of guys yelled out for joiners," Colin winced as Jasper took down some other kid. "The violence is spreading to innocent bystanders."

"A father must do his duty," Finn made an effort to stand up, taking two full, focused attempts at becoming vertical.

"Your duty?" Katherine asked, her concern splitting between her rib-cracking son and her overly obligated husband.

"I'll just jump in there and lighten things up! They take life too seriously, and I, my love, can fix that," he took a giant step to clear the blanket, wobbled, but retained his balance. He shot a beam at his wife, who hopped to her feet and threw her arms around his neck from behind.

"What's this? Getting frisky while I have a job to do? Down, woman!"

"You promised me a piggy back ride," she reminded, hoping to distract him from a situation that might lead to pain. The worst kind of pain—one he wouldn't even feel until the next day.

"So I did," he conceded, grabbing the underneath side of her knees as she hopped up onto his back. "Charge!" he yelled as he took off at a full sprint toward the game.

"No!" she screamed, holding on too tight in her terror to pummel him as she wanted to. "Finn, turn around! GAH!" she yelped. The crowd parted as the screaming pair came through, Finn making a swipe at the Frisbee. Katherine had wrapped her body so tightly around his torso that he barely needed to keep hold of her. The group of boys their son's age stared at the couple that was making off with their game piece. Jasper, Jake, and one other boy raced off downfield to retrieve it.

"See? That's why we didn't let you join the game," Miel told her husband.

"This isn't going to end well," Rory grimaced, as the lot of them ended on the ground, Finn still wrestling for the Frisbee. "Is she okay?"

"Well, she's lived with Finn this long and never really been hurt. Well, except the broken toe thing."

"And the hair-lightening shampoo incident," Amy couldn't hold in her chuckles.

"Did he swap it for Nair, or something?" Rory asked from her lazed position, as she reclined between her husband's legs, her head on his chest.

"No, he decided to lighten his hair, you know, by using the shampoo and being out in the sun. But they were taking a bath, and she let him shampoo her hair. . . . She liked the way her hair felt after using it, so she used it all week—until they went to the beach that weekend."

"Sun-streaked?"

"More than. She freaked—she ranted at him about how none of her clothes or any of her make-up was the right color for such a light shade of hair, and she went on a purging spree that ridded their entire house of anything that could change the shade of anything on her body."

"Nice," Rory giggled, until the group collectively cringed at the fact that the game had restarted. A very sheepish Finn was following his wife, who refused to look directly at him. She didn't refuse, however, to yell.

"You could have killed me!"

"You were perfectly safe—you told me you always feel at ease in my arms," he crooned.

"When you're immobile, yes, but when you're rocketing toward a band of thugs that are tearing each other apart limb for limb," she yelled.

"What is all the commotion?" a voice came from behind Ella.

She turned from her perch between the twins. "What are you doing here?"

"I was invited," Ambrose gave a small smile at Rosa, who looked rather taken aback. "You said the next time Jake was here, I should come up," he reminded her.

"That's right, I did," she managed.

"And Jake paged me this morning, to tell me he ended up coming with, so," he hedged.

"Well, let's get the boy caught up, shall we?" Grey asked. He pointed to the adults. "Snockered," he then pointed to the game, "what happens when two boys don't get the girl."

"Shut up," Ella elbowed him.

"Where's Jake?" Ambrose asked.

"He's … in there," Ella said with distaste as she pointed to the Frisbee gaggle. "He's got that thing about playing all sports, no matter how moronic or made-up."

"All sports are made up. If they weren't, then they wouldn't exist," Grey prodded.

"Now would be a good time for you to shut up," Ella scowled as she continued watching the drama unfold.

"Well, as much fun as that looks, mind if I just hang out here?"

Rosa scooted over to make more room for him to sit. "So, you're just visiting Jake?" she inquired.

"Well," he cocked his head. "Not exactly."

"Told you so," Ella sing-songed under her breath.

"I had to get away from all the baby talk," he said with distaste. "It's bad enough that they're having another one, but now all they do is talk about which crib to buy and how to baby-proof the kitchen, which I get, but then Gwen's sister started in about the benefits of breastfeeding," he shuddered. "I heard the word engorged and I had to get out of there."

Rosa put a comforting arm on his back.

"Dude," Grey handed him a drink. "That's heinous."

"Did we just get dropped into a bad surfer movie?" Ella giggled, to which Greyson only ignored her.

Tristan turned to check on the kids, only to frown. He tugged on Rory's arm. "Did we just gain a child?"

Rory laughed. "How much of that stuff did you have? You know that kid," she promised.

"But we didn't bring him."

"Once they learn to crawl, they can pretty much locomote themselves around as they wish," she promised.

"Doesn't look like one of yours," Logan frowned, taking a break from the rough-necking that was still in progress.

"That's my godson," Rory imparted. "Ambrose."

"Wait, the one that my daughter's got the hots for?" Miel leaned in.

"Well," Rory said, not wanting to speak for any of the kids, especially those not her own.

A loud commotion, louder than the grunting and body-bashing that had been going on had broken out on the field. By the time all attention was on the game again, Pax was bleeding from the face, a crimson gash over his left eye. Some boys were crying foul, some were telling the others not to be girls, but he was just staring at Jasper, who had hold of the Frisbee.

"You okay?" he panted from exertion.

"Like you care," he shook his head stiffly, wincing as he touched the gash with his fingers. Ella jumped up, as did Amy. Rosa held hold of Ella, warning her not to go.

"But, he's bleeding," Ella exclaimed. "I can't believe this, of all the dumb, archaic things they could have done," she began.

"Actually, it might be the smartest thing they've done so far," Rosa said. Ella looked to Grey, who shrugged.

"She's probably right. Let him shake it off."

"Shake it off, he's bleeding!"

Amy was up, on her way to follow her son, to care for his wound, but Logan jogged to catch up and caught her by the waist.

"Don't tell me they were just being boys."

"Okay," he said, searching for the words he wanted to use in their place. "Just, don't go after him."

"My son is bleeding," she impressed upon him.

"As is mine. Let me go talk to him, I promise if he needs both of us, I'll come get you."

Amy crossed her arms over her chest. She didn't like the idea, not one bit, but she wasn't going to deny him his shot. "Fine. But don't leave him if he's bleeding and needing someone. Just, call me."

Logan nodded, placing a kiss on her cheek. "I promise," he said before jogging off after his son. Katherine made her way up to Amy, who hadn't moved a muscle.

"Is he okay?"

"I guess so. I didn't really get a good look at it," she shrugged.

"I take it you know about the girl thing."

Amy nodded. "This isn't like them, at all."

"I guess wishing they'd sit down and talk rationally is too much to hope for, right?" Katherine smiled.

Amy cracked a smile. "I just wish there was something we could do. I talked to Pax, but he's so stubborn."

"I wonder where he gets that from," Katherine played dumb.

"The thing I really don't get is why there's still a problem. Pax gave her up, and instead of taking her for himself, Jasper also backed off. Why didn't one of them just admit to wanting to be with this girl?"

"I don't know," Katherine said as she spied her son leaving the field now as well. "But I'm gonna find out. Watch Finn for me?"

"Will do," Amy promised, watching as her friend went off in search of the boy that brought the game momentarily to a halt.

XXXX

Luke walked into the Dragonfly Inn, hoping that Lorelai would be manning the desk. He was in no mood to deal with Michel, especially after being unable to find Kirk. He had to hand it to him, his hiding places had gotten more inventive over the years. It was just a matter of time, but he would find him.

He found one of the employees behind the desk, probably covering a break. He smiled and nodded, walking through to the kitchen. He saw Sookie mid-preparation, moving and jostling about the kitchen the same way she did every night.

"Luke!" she exclaimed. "What are you doing here?"

"I'm looking for Lorelai, is she around?" he asked, feeling as if everyone already knew. He was fully aware of the rate at which news spread in this town, but he hoped against hope that out of respect, the corks would remain in place just long enough for him to find a way to tell Lorelai… and by the time they did talk, it would be a funny anecdote…. He cringed. This was never gonna be a funny anecdote, the kind that started, 'Remember the time….'

"She's in her office, why?"

"Oh, no reason, I just thought I'd come by, see her. She's been working late all this week," he pointed out.

Sookie put her ladle down and wiped her hands on her apron. "That's so sweet! I can't remember a time that Jackson just popped by, to say he missed me, without wanting to show me some fruits or vegetables, or beg me to let one of his weird family members stay at our house instead of a hotel," she frowned.

"So, her office, you said?" Luke tried to curtail the conversation.

"Yeah, ooh, when you see her, ask her to come in here before she leaves. I have an idea to run past her."

"O-kay," Luke nodded and moved back toward her office. He found her sitting, well, leaning at her desk, her head down and eyes closed.

"Sleeping on the job?" he asked.

Her head popped up with a start, and she narrowed her eyes when she saw it was him. "Evil, evil man," she muttered, but stood to hug him in the next moment. "One that I vaguely recognize, too."

"I'm the one that's at the house all those hours that you aren't."

"Ah, my house sitter, right, right," she teased. "Sorry about the hours, it's just been crazy around here this week, with Michel on vacation," she began.

"Michel's on vacation?" Luke asked.

"Yeah," she nodded. "Did you think he just lived at the front desk?"

"Well, he's there every time I come to see you, harassing me and trying to tell me that you've mysteriously disappeared with another man or contracted some horrible flesh-eating disease."

Lorelai giggled. "He told you I had a flesh-eating disease?"

Luke smirked. "Yep. Said you got it from eating red meat."

"See? You two agree on something."

"God save us all," Luke muttered.

"So, what do I owe this visit to, really?"

"I can't miss you? I can't just want to come by and talk?"

"You want to talk?" she asked, slightly troubled.

"Sure."

"Okay. About what?"

"I don't know. Anything. Pick a subject."

"Okay," she tapped her nails against her desk as she sat on the corner now. "Um…Should I get a perm?"

"Okay, anything else."

She smiled. "You came here, you pick a topic. I don't like the pressure."

"Fine. I was watching the news the other day," he began.

"You don't watch the news."

"No, you don't watch the news."

"True, but I've never seen you, in all the years I've known you, watch the news."

"How can you see me watch it if you avoid the television when it's on?"

"True. Continue."

"Okay," he shook his head, ready to continue. "I was watching the news, and they had this segment on about this couple," he swallowed.

"Right," she said, wary of the whole situation. It was odd enough for Luke to pop in to chat, but he looked downright uncomfortable as he carried out the aforementioned mission.

"See, they'd been married for some long amount of time, like, thirty years or something," he tried to sound like it was a funny story, but he only managed to pull off a pained expression.

"And this made the news? What were they, in Hollywood?"

"No, they had been married thirty years, only to find out that there'd been some glitch, the paperwork or something, and it turns out that officially they were never really married."

"A glitch?" she blinked.

"It was the damnedest thing," he nodded. "Isn't that weird?"

"Weird? Luke, that's horrible. See, this is why I never watch the news. It's never good. They never open with things like, 'Hey, you won't believe that great thing we witnessed,' or 'Millions of puppies rescued,' it's always, 'Marriage proved to be sham,' or 'Poor homeless orphans mangled in freak accident,'" she made a face.

"Okay, I get it, but it's not that big a deal, especially next to the homeless mangled orphans, right? I mean, all they have to do is get remarried. It's not like you can unmangle an orphan," he frowned at the words.

"No, they can't get remarried, Luke. They have to get married, for the first time. They have to come to grips with the fact that everything they'd been living for the past thirty years, none of it was true. They'd been living a lie, and all the kids they'd had—did they have kids?" she asked urgently.

"Uh, yeah, um, two," he lied.

"Both suddenly illegitimate!" she cried. "Geez, because of some stupid glitch, everything they thought they'd worked so hard to build, all down the drain. That's so sad."

"You of all people can't believe that, I mean, just because a kid's parents aren't married, it doesn't mean that the kid doesn't have a sense of home," he argued.

"No, you're right, but think about it, Luke. If this happened to us, don't you think it would shake you?"

"Well, yes, it would shake me, but," he tried to be calm.

"Wouldn't you worry about the effect it would have on Will? I mean, all his life, he's had parents that were married, only to find out one day that we were just two people that lived in the same house?"

"It's not like it erased everything that happened in those thirty years," Luke argued.

"No, but it didn't, but it has to make a person think about what they were really doing—what the point of marriage is in the first place."

"I guess," he frowned.

"I mean, if marriage is really just some act of a paper being filed, then what is the point? Why bother at all? If no one is really bound to anyone else out of something greater, if the government can come in at any time and say, 'oops, sorry, do over!' then why does anyone bother?"

"Okay, see, I just wanted to have a nice talk," he stepped up to her, his hands on her shoulders. "I didn't mean to get you all worked up."

"Sorry, it's just—I'm tired. It's gonna be so nice to come home and curl up in my husband's arms," she snuggled against his chest. He felt guilty for not telling her outright, but right now saw no way to tell her.

"I'll be waiting," he promised, giving her a lingering kiss before taking his leave and hoping that tomorrow would be a better time to tell her about the world-shaking glitch.

XXXX

"So, you need stitches?" Logan asked as he walked into the bathroom of his son's dorm. Pax had water running and a damp paper towel held up to the wound.

"I don't think so," he winced as he touched it.

"Let me see," he took his son's hands down and peered at the broken skin. "It's not deep."

He nodded and went back to flushing it out. Logan watched as he worked.

"So, it got pretty rough out there. Your mother almost broke it up a few times."

"She never did like to see any violence."

"She's not the only one that was gonna break it up," he spoke honestly.

"Aunt Katherine?" he asked.

"Well, yes, but I was talking about Ella Dugrey."

"Oh," was all he said as he tended to the still-bleeding gash.

"Oh? Son, there are many appropriate responses here, but the least of them is 'oh.'"

"What do you want me to say?" Pax glared at his father.

"How about explaining to me why you and Jasper were reenacting an _American Gladiators_ episode, all seemingly over a girl that neither of you appear to be dating. Or why you ran after this girl, after that weird encounter we all witnessed with her and that guy at the picnic," Logan supplied.

"I don't want to discuss it," Pax turned back to the mirror to check the status of his bleeding.

"Tough," Logan said, moving to stand next to the sink.

"Excuse me?"

"I said tough. Normally your mother and I let you work out your own problems. But you're clearly not handling whatever this is."

"How do you know?"

Logan sighed and put his hand on his son's shoulder. "You're fighting with Jasper."

"So?" his eyes fell from his father's, the only way he could remain resistant to the line of conversation.

"You two have never frozen the other out like this."

"Perhaps it's time for a breather."

"A bloody one?" Logan persisted.

"You think I haven't tried to fix this?" his son erupted.

"I think that you would be better served in letting someone who's not tangled up in the mess help you."

"I broke up with her to prevent this from happening," he said after a moment of silence.

"How ironic," Logan shook his head.

"He just got more pissed off, even after I told him all of it—and she's on me to tell her why I did it."

"Maybe he's mad that she can't let it go."

"Maybe."

"So, tell her and be done with it. Simple."

"I can't," he turned away again, dabbing at the wound that was no longer bleeding.

"Paxton," he groaned. He looked at his son, hating to even ask the next question. "Why not?"

"I broke up with her to salvage things with Jas—but I," he looked to be in more pain now than that gash could cause him. "I'm in love with her."

Logan looked completely floored. "What about Jas?"

Pax shrugged. "He didn't say, but I'm pretty sure."

"And so you fight."

"I'd say you're all caught up. Happy?"

"Not particularly," he answered honestly. "What do you want to happen?"

Pax threw the wet towel in the trash. "I'm not trying to win her back. I just want Jas and me to be okay again. There'll be other girls, right?" he did his best to sound convincing.

"So, help Jasper get the girl," he said, making the solution sound clear.

Pax's eyes met his father's. "And now the actual solution."

"He's your best friend, and you love her. You want them to be happy, right?"

"Yeah, but," he blinked.

"'Cause otherwise this will be some unrequited deal where they're both always wondering what might have been."

"Agreed. But he's not gonna let me help him, and she's not gonna drop this."

"Exactly. So, you're gonna have to bypass them."

Pax's brow furrowed. "What? How?"

Logan stood up straighter, proud of his solution. "Get a girlfriend."

Pax shook his head. "Dad, look," he began.

"Any girlfriend will do."

"But," he protested.

"If you like, your mother and I can assign one—or I can let your grandmother Shira choose an appropriate match," he threatened.

Pax shuddered. "Any girl will do?"

XXXX

Billy came into his house, letting the front screen door slam behind him. His parents and younger sister were eating dinner, and they all looked up at him as he stomped to the table.

"Hey, honey, I didn't know if we should expect you, but there's plenty if you want--," Sookie began.

"What I want is to set something straight," he stopped to think about his words, but continued.

"Watch your tone, young man," Jackson said. "No matter what is going on in your personal life, this is still your mother."

"Oh, so I can't yell at her, but she can start telling everyone in the world that I'm gay?"

Lia spit out some soda at her brother's words. "You're gay?"

"No!" he yelled. "I'm not gay!" he redirected to his mother.

"Honey, calm down, fine, you're not gay. Not that there's anything wrong with it, if you were," she soothed.

"But I'm not!" he yelled. "Why would you tell people I am?"

"I didn't!" she swore.

"Lorelai?" he offered.

"Oh, well, that was just more of a general wondering as to what you had been up to," she blushed.

"Yeah, well, she told Ella, who believed her!"

"You're talking to Ella again? That's great!" Jackson encouraged.

"No, she and I had a shouting match, when she saw me with my new girlfriend," he explained.

"New girlfriend?" Sookie asked. "We didn't know anything about this."

"Because I didn't want Ella to find out through Lorelai," he gritted out the words.

"But honey, it's good. Why should she care that you're dating? You've been broken up for a while."

"I'm dating her ex-roommate."

"But I thought her ex-roommate was Paris' kid, the annoying one that you couldn't stand on that road trip last year," Sookie began.

"Her name is Jane."

Lia's eyes were huge as she watched the exchange. It was rare that this level of family drama occurred now that only half the kids were living at home.

"Wait—you're telling me you're dating Paris' daughter?" Sookie clarified.

"Yes. Her daughter—not her son."

"You can't date Paris' kid," Sookie shook her head.

"You haven't even met her," he was growing confused.

"I don't have to! The nut can't fall far from the tree, and let me tell you, that tree is insanely twisted. Being in the same room as her for five minutes, I wanted to pluck all the hair off of her head, and she was just a kid. You're supposed to care for kids, but all I ever wanted to do with that one was cause her pain," Sookie thought back to when Paris was just a bit younger than her own son.

"Paris is a little scary," he conceded, "but Jane is great. And I don't care what you say, I'm dating her. Now, if you'll quit telling people I'm gay, we're done here!" he stormed down the hall and slammed his bedroom door shut.

"Well," Jackson said, breaking the moment. "I don't see what he got so upset over. There really isn't anything wrong with it."

XXXX

"So," Katherine sat on her son's bed.

"Can you please just mind your own business?"

"Unless you're going to give me an original penny, I won't."

"I'm not in the mood for Snapple facts," he sighed.

"It's either that or telling me why you went all caveman on your best friend."

"You're blowing this out of proportion."

"The amount of tension out there—it's like you're an electric eel," she pointed out.

"I hardly have enough electrical charge to start fifty cars," he sighed, "I've been using those static-free sheets you packed with my stuff."

"You know what I mean. You look at that girl, and it's like you've been struck by lightening. It'd be cute if it weren't for the whole gashing open your friend's head thing."

"We were playing a game," he sighed.

"Good thing you weren't playing tennis," she shuddered. "I can only imagine what a ball going over a hundred miles an hour to the head would have done."

"The fastest was 154 miles an hour, in 1963," he offered.

Katherine smiled. "See? It's always a good time for Snapple facts."

"I'm trying to back off of the whole situation, it's just, after I saw him go after her—he's gonna tell her he's in love with her, and that's gonna be it."

"You're so sure this is the one girl for you? 'Cause if she's really into Pax, maybe she's not."

Jasper was silent for a moment. "I promise not to play any more games with him until it's resolved."

"I just hate to see you like this, turning yourself all inside out like this."

"The starfish is the only animal that can turn its stomach inside out," he said, trying to lighten the moment. He didn't have any more reassurances for himself or his mother.

Katherine pulled her son in for a hug. "You'll make amends, and everything will work out. You'll see."

"I hope so," he said with earnest, not sure at the moment how to even go about setting everything back as it should be.

"Just remember, one brow winkle is the result of 200,000 frowns," she heeded.

"Then you must smile all the time," he sweet-talked.

"Use some of that charm you got from your Dad," she squeezed him tight before letting him go. "You'll get through this fine."

XXXX

"You're all dressed up," Pax said as he greeted her at the door. "Hot date?"

"I have to believe they all have potential, right?" Rosa smiled. "Can I come in?"

"Won't your date have a hard time finding you if you're over here?"

"I have some time. I wanted to talk to you."

"Come on in," Pax opened the door wider to allow her to enter. She stepped into the middle of the room and spun around.

"I wanted to apologize for yelling at you earlier."

"You can't be sorry retroactively, just because I have a head wound."

"Today wasn't really easy on anyone," she conceded. "But you have to admit, Ella needed to get the vultures cleared away."

"I'm not a vulture. I just felt the need to explain some things to her."

"And now?"

"The need has passed."

"Why don't you just tell her?"

He looked up at his friend. "Tell her what?"

"You love her."

He crossed the room and got a cold can of soda, but didn't open it. Instead he held it to his head, which was starting to pound. "I don't love her. You should go."

"Pax, come on. It's me."

"Did I want to break up with her? No. Did I do what I had to do? Yes. Now, you should go, before your date thinks he's being stood up."

"What are you going to do?"

"Rest. If I drink tonight and pass out, my mom will personally kill me. Bare hands and all."

Rosa nodded. "I just want things to be okay for you guys."

"Don't worry about it. Things will calm down, we'll all move on," he promised.

"What's that supposed to mean?" she asked.

"It means go, and have a great night. Now if you'll excuse me, I have a date with a bag of frozen vegetables."

Rosa shook her head and took her leave. He was suddenly alone again, and he grabbed a bag of frozen peas and carrots that his mother had stocked his freezer with before they left for the alumni dinner and retreated back to his bedroom.

XXXX

The door began to unlock, and Will pulled the covers up over their bodies quickly. Anna was still giggling as the light flipped on.

"What the hell is going on?" Davey asked.

"Hey, you're back early," Will said, doing his best to let Anna scrounge under the covers for her clothes.

"Shouldn't you both be in your individual counseling sessions?" Dave asked.

"We, uh, sort of skipped them," Will grinned, wishing only to continue his honeymoon activities. "Did yours end early?"

"I was in there for two and a half hours," he muttered. "Evidently the whole four-in-four thing was grounds for Mal divorcing me, and I had to be deprogrammed."

"Mal was there?" Will asked, starting to feel quite self-conscious about the state of dress his friend had caught them in the longer he stood there, seemingly not bothered in the least.

"No, but I brought it up."

"Why'd you bring that up?"

"She asked if there was any reason that Mal and I would be having problems."

"Geez, Dave."

"Wait, you thought I had been gone a short time? Have you … all this time?"

"Look, if you could come back in like an hour," Will asked.

"We have to be at dinner in a half an hour. I wanted to shower and pick up Mal, in the girls' room."

Anna tossed her keys at her brother. "Shower in our room. And have some fun, we'll all be late for dinner."

Dave held up his hand. "Look, if we get caught, we'll be forced into some rare form of punishment—tied to a chair and forced to listen to _How Am I Supposed To Live Without You_—married couples aren't supposed to engage in sexual activities until day two, and you guys aren't supposed to be doing this at all. They frown on non-married couples," he began.

"Dave if you leave right now, I'll give you all the money I have. Go!" Anna urged.

"Geez, this whole place makes people insane," he muttered as he grabbed some clothes. "You guys were fighting, and you get here and you can't keep your hands off each other. I was perfectly happy, and now I'm a bad husband," he grumbled. He stopped right before he got to the door again.

"If we get caught, I'm giving you guys up, too. I won't listen to Michael Bolton by myself, I'm taking everyone down with me."

"Go!" Will and Anna urged. He locked the door behind him and Will dove back under the covers, now ridding her of the clothes she'd made an attempt to cover herself up with during the intermission.

XXXX

"Did you have to bring my brother?" Ella asked Grey.

"Hey, Jake is cool," Grey said calmly as he drank a beer.

"Yeah, well, having your little brother around puts a crimp in your style."

"I thought you were swearing off guys?" Grey reminded her of the words she'd said as they walked into the party.

"I am," she frowned.

"Then you have no style to crimp," he joked. "Come on, it's not that bad. Let yourself have a drama-free night," he urged.

"Yeah, you're right," she smiled. Both of their attention was caught as Rosa walked in on the arm of her date for the evening. "Looks like drama just walked in."

"Crap. You go stall her, I'm gonna go pry Ambrose off that redhead," they split directions, off to diffuse the situation.

Ella was almost through the crowd to Rosa when a familiar form stepped in her way. She looked up at Jasper and was suddenly rendered speechless.

"Hey," he offered over the noise of the party. "You in a hurry?"

"Um, sort of," she squinted toward the direction that Rosa had been in, only to find a sea of unfamiliar faces. "What's up?"

"I wanted to talk to you, about earlier. I didn't mean to get so rough," he sighed. "I feel horrible."

"You should tell Pax; you didn't do anything to me."

"You're not mad?"

"I'm," she bit her lip. "I hate to see you guys like this."

"It's not your fault," he said, leaning in closer to let a band of clearly drunken conga-liners by.

"Yeah, well, it feels like it."

"We can't help being bowled over by your beauty," he smiled.

"I'll work on being uglier," she teased.

"Don't think you'll have much luck. Maybe shoot for acting dumber," he offered.

"I thought boys like 'em dumb."

"Maybe that was true of the boys you used to date. You're at Yale now. Boys here like it when you can differentiate equations and come up with cures for rare diseases."

"So, I'm safe then," she mocked relief.

"Dance?" he asked.

"Oh, well," she frowned.

"You don't want to?"

"That's not it, I just," she turned to see only strangers. The thought that at least Grey was taking care of Ambrose crossed her mind. "Yeah, let's dance," she let Jasper take her hand and lead her to a more appropriate spot.

XXXX

Grey had lost sight of Ambrose. He turned back to see Ella dancing with Jasper and sighed. He heard his name being called, and turned to see his sister waving him over.

"Hey," he walked up next to her. "Where's your date?"

"Off to get drinks," she yelled back over the noise. "Didn't you come with an entourage?"

"They're around," he promised. "I won't lose any of them, especially the minors."

"Remember, parents will be doing early morning bed checks," she smiled jokingly.

"So, your date is going well?" he inquired.

"So well that after dinner I dragged him to a party where my friends are," she sighed.

"Sorry."

"It's okay. I'm trying to go through all the frogs at a rapid pace."

Grey smiled. "No one's good enough for you. Just ask Dad."

"New topic. Oh, hey, there's Jake, and Am—," she cut off as she witnessed his hand placement and the way the girl was grinding up against his body.

"Shit," Grey swore under his breath.

"What? It's fine, I'm fine," she lied.

"Rose, come on," he put an arm around her shoulder.

"No, seriously. Why should I be upset? We're not dating, first of all."

"No, but come on," he coaxed. "He came up here to see you."

"No, he didn't. Clearly he came up to score with college girls."

"Yeah, but you were the intended girl. You just had a date," he clarified.

"Look, I've seen all of Aunt Amy's _Sex And The City _shows," she sighed. "And the truth is, he's just not that into me."

"What?" he nearly screeched in disbelief.

"They even wrote a book about it!"

"Have you lost your mind? That guy is totally into you."

"No," she shook her head. "There are no mixed messages. If he wanted to be with me, he'd do it, no matter the circumstance."

"You're insane. He doesn't send mixed messages, he told you he likes you."

"Yes, but now he's got some tramp wrapped around him; that's mixed."

"He doesn't know you're here, and he thinks you don't want him. You want him, go get him. That girl will move onto the next warm body. Even if I have to sacrifice myself to provide it for her," he smirked.

"You're not helping."

"Did I say I was trying to help?" he feigned innocence. "Just trying to speak the truth."

"I'm not going over there. I'm going to find my date."

"Fine," he shrugged.

"It is. Everything is fine."

"If you say so," he placated her.

"Stop that," she admonished, as he put his arm back around her for comfort.

"Is this guy bothering you?" her date came back up, two drinks in hand.

"Yes," she said. "Let's get out of here," she wiggled out from under Grey's grasp and turned to her date.

"What about the drinks, and your friends?" he asked.

"You're right. You should go," she smiled.

"You're serious."

"There are no mixed messages, buddy," Grey piped up.

"What are you, her boyfriend?"

"Total frog," he turned to Rosa. "Let's get drunk," he handed her one drink out of the guy's hands and took the other for himself.

"Hey!" the guy called after them as they moved further into the party.

XXXX

Jess got back into bed, having shut the window. The first cool breeze of the year had hit, and though it was a welcome relief to the heat they'd experienced this summer, he didn't want Gwen to catch cold.

"My protector," she snuggled down into him as he joined her.

"Remember this when you're giving birth," he mumbled into her hair, causing her to giggle.

"You got it," she took a deep breath, and for a moment they laid next to each other, only the sound of beating hearts and soft breathing filling the room.

"Hear that?" he asked.

"I don't hear anything," she strained for a moment.

"That is the sound of drama being everywhere but in this house."

"I think the universe owes us a bit of drama-free time," she grazed her fingers over his chest absently.

"The universe had some help," he led, already smiling.

"What do you mean?" she propped up to look at the amusement on his face.

"I was the one that asked Sari to bring up breast-feeding in front of Ambrose," he chuckled.

"You drove your son out of the house on purpose?" she was clearly a bit surprised.

"Well, I knew Jules would probably have a date, and that Sari wouldn't want to stay here, that just left Ambrose in the way of our having complete, utter alone time," he said. "You're mad?"

"Not mad, just, the look on his face when she started talking about engorged nipples," she laughed. "He may require therapy."

"Hey, it was for his own good. He wanted to go to Yale, and I gave him a reason."

"So, your torment was cleverly disguised as good parenting?"

He nodded. "I've been called an evil genius, but clever parent will work too."

"Okay, Wylie," she giggled, more than happy to share the illy-gotten free time they'd earned.

He moved over her, his hand brushing over her chest light, down the beginnings of what was becoming evident to be their child in her stomach, and to her thighs. His pace was slow, and his look much more intent on her skin. "Be glad you can't call me Road Runner," he breathed as he kissed the place that he removed his hand from.

"I love your evil mind," she arched her body under him, reaching out to hang onto him for the slow, luxurious ride that he was about to take her on.


	51. Chapter 51

Disclaimer: Yeah, so it's been a while since I did one of these things. I don't own anything, save for a few of my original characters… even some of those own themselves… So yeah, I'm just writing it all down for you. Enjoy!

Rosa clutched at the baseball bat that her father had packed in with her things the day she left for college. Not because he was sure she was going to become the next female athlete star, but because he said the best revenge was to disable someone and taunt them as you awaited further help. She was to aim for the knees.

She knew Ella was home, but how heavy a sleeper she was or what kind of self-protection she was in possession of was unknown to her at this point. So when she heard the clear signs of someone breaking into their room, she slid the baseball bat silently out from underneath her bed and crept over to the door. She checked the clock, seeing it was just past three in the morning, something the cops should want to know, she was sure, and then the door popped open. Whoever was doing the job was good—she figured it'd taken them no time at all to pop this supposedly secure lock.

She raised the bat up, not caring now what part of the body she hit, as the door opened to reveal Ambrose. He jumped back into the hall, his eyes wide with terror.

"Jeeez," he griped. "What the hell is wrong with you?"

"Me? Why are you picking my lock in the middle of the night?"

"I don't have a key," he reminded.

"That's why you come back with everyone else," she pointed out. "Or go break into the guys' room."

"All my stuff's here, with Jake's. And I am not sleeping in the hall, either," he said. They were silent for a brief moment. "You gonna let me in?"

"You broke my lock—anyone could come in here now. I should make you stay in the hall, as a bodyguard."

"I'll fix it in the morning, and protect you in the meantime," he promised, a smile covering his face.

"You know how to fix it?"

He nodded and crossed his pointer finger over his heart. "I do my best work when rested, so," he trailed off.

"What were you even doing out so late?" she huffed, clearly not ready to let him go to sleep, let alone come into the suite. She was still holding up the baseball bat in the middle of the doorway.

"I was out."

"With whom?"

He scratched his head. "I didn't catch her name."

"Pig," she drew the bat back, as if she was going to take a swing at him. He jumped back a bit.

"Jeez," he began. "I wasn't planning on a repeat, what's the point of wasting the brain space?"

"That is the vilest thing I've ever heard anyone say."

He shrugged. "Why are you so upset—first of all, I know your name, and second of all, just what was your date's name?"

"How'd you know I had a date?" she asked defensively.

"I saw you with him, at the party," he shrugged. "He does have a name, right?"

"Justin," she said sullenly.

He wasn't quite able to hold back his laughter. She glared at him in the pale light from the distant hallway emergency light that never shut off.

"What?"

"So, this Justin, he's a soul mate?"

"That's not my point."

"Oh, you have a point. Let's hear it, then," he encouraged, his eyes sparking up.

"My point is, you can't just go around, dating nameless girls and dragging your ass home at three in the morning, and breaking into your friends' rooms. You'll end up living in a cardboard box, with no friends and no life."

"God, it's not like this is the sixth night this week that I've done this," he began. "In fact, I've never done this before. And you still haven't given me a real reason as to why you're so pissed off. I promised to fix your door, what more do you want from me?"

"Nothing," she said sharply. "Here," she handed him the baseball bat and turned to go back to her room.

He followed her instantly, using the bat as something to squeeze between his hands. "So, is this what it's gonna be like?"

She turned, a bit surprised to see he'd followed her right into her room and shut the door. "What are you doing?"

"Answer me."

She sighed. "What what's gonna be like?"

"If I come to school here. Are you gonna get this pissy every time I have a date, even if you have one too?"

"Since when are you coming to Yale?" she put him off.

"I have a meeting tomorrow," he breathed. "With the Dean of Admissions. You know, see if I should even bother," he shrugged.

"Because of me?"

He looked at her for a long moment. "That's a loaded question."

She shrugged. "Is it?"

He tossed the bat on her bed. "I never really thought I could get into a place like this. It was always some place that Jake and Ella were going to go, but me," he shook his head. "You kind of got me thinking. I don't want to end up being stuck in a job I hate, or having to work myself out of a hole. Going to a place like this, it'd give me options that I wouldn't have otherwise."

She nodded. "Very true."

"But if I come here, I'd like to think that you aren't going to be on my case, every time I hit a party or whatever. I mean, it's not like you're Suzy Schoolgirl, either."

"You shouldn't let me affect your decision about anything," she swallowed, realizing that in the course of arguing, they'd stepped much closer to the other.

He nodded and held his ground. "Then you shouldn't alter your plans for me, either."

She shook her head. "Right. We don't affect the other in any way, shape, or form. We're just friends, right?"

"Isn't that what you wanted?"

"Yes—of course. So, we're clear, then?"

She hoped she at least sounded convincing—she sure didn't feel convincing. She might have even leaned a bit closer to him as she spoke. She made a mental note not to ever have serious post-3am chats with this person ever again. She looked up to see that he was smiling—taunting her?

" Crystal."

"Good. So, how are things?" she tossed off casually.

"School starts next week," he offered. "It's the first time I won't have Jake around, so that'll be weird."

"You guys are pretty close, huh?" she offered.

"He's like a brother to me," he looked at her in all seriousness.

"Yeah," she breathed. "You think you'll go visit him much?"

"Dad's talking about maybe going down, as a family sometime. But it's kind of far, not like here; I can just hop on a train and get here."

She nodded, her mouth feeling rather dry suddenly. "Yeah, but you won't have much time, I mean, if you're gonna get your grades up. Then you and Jake can maybe both come to Yale, and it'll be like you were never apart. The last couple years of high school go by fast."

He nodded, clearly contemplating something. She was sure he was going to ask her something, but he just took a step backward. "I should get to sleep. The couch is fine, right?"

She nodded. "Yeah, fine."

"Okay. Night."

"Night," she frowned.

And he did just as he said he would, quietly exiting her room and protecting the suite from intruders other than himself.

XXXX

Jess woke up to someone clutching him. He opened his eyes to see Gwen staring at him, wide-eyed in terror.

"What's wrong? The baby?"

"I'm going to be a terrible mother."

"What?" he asked, still clutching at the remains of sleep that fogged over his eyes.

"I was having this dream, that I was trying to sleep, but the baby wouldn't quit crying, so I put it in a drawer! A drawer! I'm going to be a terrible mother!"

Jess did his best not to laugh, but he lost. "You won't do that," he offered.

"I really like my sleep," she defended her dream.

"Okay, so I'll rescue the kid from the drawer," he said.

"This isn't funny. I've never really been around little kids—never babies."

"We all have to learn sometime—and if I could do it, then you're practically a natural."

"This isn't the first dream," she bit her lip. He sat up a bit more, but wasn't sure he needed to turn a light on yet.

"What?"

"I've had others. I left the baby in a shopping cart at the market. I took all my groceries, and left the kid at the market!"

"Like in _Mr. Mom_?" he tried to lighten her desperation.

"The next dream? We were looking for apartments, and we bought a studio."

Jess turned on the light. "We'd kill each other with a baby in a studio."

Gwen made a noise of acknowledgement. "Well, evidently that didn't matter to us, since we were gonna ship the kid off to some boarding school."

He put his arms around her and pulled her form against his. He kissed her forehead, her cheek, her nose, then softly, her lips. "Were there any more?"

"Just this last one."

"The drawer."

She nodded into him.

"What are you really afraid of?" he asked simply.

A sigh and a period of settling down into his arms followed. By the time she started smoothing down the covers over them, she found her voice. "You've been so great."

"But you'd like me to stop?"

"No," she shook her head. "I don't know."

"Look, Gwen, you're allowed to be imperfect. In fact, I'm pretty sure it's expected. That's why their memories aren't hardwired for the first few years—all your 'learning how to do this' screw-ups are forgotten, otherwise we'd all be in therapy for the duration of our lives."

She sniffled and laughed at once. "Don't make me laugh. I'm serious."

"So am I—therapy should be reserved for those of us with truly incapable parents."

"It happened to you, it could happen to this one," she put her hand on her still rather normal-looking stomach.

"It won't happen to this one," he said sternly.

"I'm sure your parents thought that, too, Jess, but things happen."

He turned and looked at her, no hint of sarcasm in his features. "My parents never gave one thought that didn't involve themselves. Which is why my dad split on the first diaper run, and my mother was too interested in getting the bong lit."

Gwen winced and put her hand through his hair. Jess took her hand gently in his.

"I made a promise, to each of my kids, the very first time I held them. I told them that no matter what happened, I was going to be there for them. I will be making the same promise to this one," he said. "All you have to do is want this. And when you first look at your own kid," he shook his head. "You won't have any problem."

"I do want this," she promised.

He smiled. "I know you do. And you are great with kids. You're great with my kids."

"Let's go back to sleep," she reached around to turn the light off.

"If you want, I could spend some more time reassuring you," he offered as she attempted to move over to her side of the bed.

"The baby needs rest," she poked him as he wrapped his body around hers.

"See? You're a natural," he assured, kissing her neck before coming to rest up against her to finish out the night in peace.

XXXX

Lorelai was already up when Luke rose out of bed that Sunday morning. He was not opening the diner this morning, and normally on a Sunday morning Lorelai was happy to lounge in bed with him until he had to get up.

"What's going on?"

"Michel's still on vacation," she whispered. "I have to go in for a few hours, go back to sleep."

"No, no—if I don't get up now, I won't see you 'til tonight," he scratched his head.

"I promise I'll still recognize you after work. Unless Kevin Bacon comes into the Inn," she smirked.

He sighed. "He is on the top of your list," he commented.

"The laminated version," she nodded with a wicked smile.

"There's more than one?"

"I have a few back-ups scratched down, should one of my laminated boys kick off unnaturally."

"Well, Kevin Costner is getting up there," he admitted. "Who would take his place?"

"Well, I've decided that if my old men kick off, there's no use in filling their absence with someone else that might meet a similar end. So my back up list consists of men that are ridiculously too young for me—but who would find me irresistibly sexy, of course."

"Who wouldn't?" Luke played along.

"Exactly. I mean, I just need the time to put the same kind of time into them that I have into the old standards."

"I see. You do enjoy your list."

"I'd enjoy it more if I ever saw any celebrities," she grinned wickedly.

"Did you have a list, before we got married?"

She looked up from her shoe, which she was trying to fasten. "What do you mean?"

"Well, that list is a list of guys that you're theoretically allowed to sleep with, with no consequences, therefore, you wouldn't need a list like that if you weren't married."

"I like how you say theoretically. It's cute."

"I'm serious. If we weren't married," he began.

"Luke, can we talk about this later? I have to get going."

"Sorry, I guess, I'm just still thinking of the news thing," he shook his head, not wanting to push her.

"Yeah," she frowned, not wanting to let on that it's all she'd been able to think of all night as well. She'd only been able to think about what exactly she'd put her own kid through, the first time around. While Rory had always been a perfectly wonderful child, not without more than her share of love, she always hated that she hadn't been able to provide a father for her. When Luke looked at her with concern, she just smiled and moved to kiss him. "I'll see you tonight."

"Say hello to Kevin for me," he joked.

"Yeah," she nodded and with that, left him alone in the bed.

XXXX

"Hello?"

"Did we wreck our kid?" came her voice of concern as her finger held a lock of her hair captive, twirling and pulling it in shapes around the digit.

"Who is this?"

"Chris, stop. I'm serious."

"Where are you?"

"I'm at the Inn. Why?"

"Because I'm envisioning having to come and administer tranquilizers. Quickest routes and all."

"I'm not joking."

"Is Rory okay?"

"Yes, she's fine, it's just, I've been thinking—I mean, a kid should have a mother and a father. What if all this time, you were right, or—God—my mother was right? What if I should have married you when we were kids?"

"As much as I appreciate the offer, I think your husband would mind if we got hitched now for the sake of the kid," he joked.

"You know what I mean," she huffed.

"How much more fabulous could Rory have turned out? What about her life is so troubling to you? Her successful career? Our two wonderful grandchildren? Her husband that treats her so well? You're right. We've completely ruined her."

"But if we'd been married," she sighed.

"As much as I hate to admit it, she didn't need me. She had you, and you were the best role model a girl could have."

"Yes, pregnant at sixteen screams good role model," she shook her head and rearranged a vase of flowers on the front counter.

"I was the one that corrupted you. Had it not been for me, you would have gotten knocked up by the frat boy of your dreams, four years later."

"Aww, Honey, you were the frat boy of my dreams back then," she teased.

"That probably shouldn't make me all warm and fuzzy, should it?"

"I hear nostalgia can do that to you."

"What brought all this on? Is Rory finally going through her rebellious phase? 'Cause I thought that marrying Hartford money was her great defiance of your parenting methods."

"No, honestly, Rory is fine. It's nothing—it's stupid."

"I have no doubts. Come on, fess up."

"I shouldn't have even bothered you. It's just, Luke was ranting last night about this couple on the news, who thought they'd been married for thirty years, only to find out through some paperwork error that they were never officially married."

"O-kay," Chris drawled. "I don't get it."

"They had kids, who rightfully thought their parents were married, when they really weren't. There was nothing stopping them from just doing whatever they wanted that whole time. There was no real binding, no glue."

"They didn't know they weren't married, so where's the harm?" he asked. "Besides, Rory always knew we weren't married. Unless you were just telling her I was on really long business trips," he joked.

"No… I don't know why it bugged me so much. It just, did. Sorry."

"Does this perhaps have anything to do with the fact that Rory and Tristan will be heading to North Carolina tonight?"

She sighed. "Maybe. I'm gonna miss her, you know?"

"She's been in New York all these years," he pointed out.

" New York is an adjoining state," she pointed back.

"What do you want me to say?"

"That it's all gonna be okay?" she asked brightly.

"You still believe it when I say it?" he asked, slightly astonished.

"Old habits die hard," she said in a deadpan tone.

"Everything's gonna be okay."

She smiled genuinely, instantly cheered. "Thanks, Chris."

"Anytime."

XXXX

Amy sighed as Katherine drummed her fingernails on the table. The kids were rolling in ones and twos, as were the adults. All the women had arrived, as well as Tristan. Jake and Ambrose came down together, sitting at the opposite end of the long table that had been set up at the back of the dining room on the first floor of the University Plaza Hotel.

"Where are they?"

Katherine checked her watch. "I'm going up there."

"They'll come down," Miel said calmly, taking a drink of water.

"Are they hung over?" Rory asked.

" Logan's not," Amy said.

"Colin's feeling it."

Katherine said nothing, just continued to strum her fingernails against the table.

"So, um, you're heading to North Carolina today?" Amy turned to Rory.

Rory looked surprised. "Oh, yeah, we are. Tristan's job got transferred, so we came from New York, but we're heading to Raleigh tonight."

"You'll love it down there—my brother lives near Charlotte," she smiled.

"I actually went to UNC for a year," Tristan spoke up. "I loved it down there, the warm weather, the slower pace."

"It can be very relaxing," Amy nodded.

"You don't strike me as the laid back, take an hour to order a meal kind of people," Katherine said.

Rory smiled tightly, and Tristan shrugged. "It'll be an adjustment," he admitted. "But we do love a challenge."

Ella came into the dining room wearing sunglasses and slunk over to a seat next to her brother.

"Clearly," Rory gritted out through her teeth. "Um, Dr. Teeth? What's with the glasses?"

Ella looked up at her mother and sighed. "It's a fashion statement."

Rory opened her mouth to retort, but a groaning sound came from behind them, to reveal Finn almost walking between his two best friends.

"Delivery for Katherine Wellington," Logan smiled. "Don't worry, he's shaved and showered."

"How do they make water so loud?" Finn asked.

"Looks like the alumni dinner was rockin'," Grey said as he came in with Jasper. Jasper clapped his father on the back as they walked back.

"Are you trying to lose your inheritance?" he groaned.

"Geez, cranky," he commented as he sat down. "Oh, good, eggs," he took a plate and began piling food on his plate.

"Dear God," Finn looked downright green.

"You're in a good mood," Katherine said, ignoring her husband.

Jasper looked up to Ella and smiled. "Yeah, I guess so."

Rory noticed the way her daughter was being eyed and saw the upturn of her own lips. "Ella, I need to ask you about something, before we go, can we just," she stood up and half-dragged her daughter out into the hall.

"Mom, slow down," she whimpered.

"Hung over and boys leering at you? Are you freaking kidding me? This isn't _Dynasty_," Rory ranted.

"What are you talking about? I may have a slight headache, but no one was leering," she sighed. "We were both at this party, and we danced, that's it."

"The Lambada?" Rory asked knowingly. "Ohmigod, I just had a Mrs. Kim flashback," she buried her head into her hands. "Okay, just tell me what is going on."

"Nothing," Ella swore. "We danced, and he said that he really wants to work things out with Pax, which is the most important thing, so I gave him a kiss on the cheek and we parted ways. End of story."

"You encouraged him," Rory said softly.

"What? No, I was just glad that everyone's going to be sensible about this," Ella argued, still not touching her sunglasses.

"Well, honey, when you express your pleasure with your lips, it tends to make boys crazy. Ask your father," she shook her head. "If you want advice, from someone who had her fair share of boy triangle problems, keep any and all touching to handshakes. Avoid direct eye contact, and what ever you do, don't make any decisions when you've been up all night dancing."

Ella lowered her glasses a little to, hopefully, better see her mother. "It was just one dance," she impressed upon her, "not all night."

Rory shook her head and smiled. "Come on, let's get you some mac and cheese to mix in with your biscuits and gravy," she put her arm around her bewildered daughter's shoulders, ready to lead her back into the dining room. Just behind them, Pax came up, chatting away on his cell phone.

He gave them a nod of acknowledgement as he hurried past. "I will call you later. No, it shouldn't take much longer than that—it's not a surprise if I tell you," he smiled, but had the decency to look away from the women when he did. Now past them, they heard only his parting words.

"I can't wait. See you tonight," he snapped his phone shut and slid through the doors to the dining room.

Rory looked to her awe-stricken daughter. "You okay?"

"I'm fine. Why wouldn't I be fine?"

"Well, it sounded like he was making a date."

"So?"

"Ella, yesterday," Rory began.

Ella turned to face her mother. "Is in the past. We're all moving on, obviously. Including me," she promised. "I'm fine."

Rory nodded and put her arm back around her brave girl, as they walked back into the landmine-filled room.

XXXX

"You're late," Amy said.

"I'm not the last one in," Pax said as Rory and Ella slipped back into the room.

"They've been here," she argued.

"I had to make a phone call, technically, I was on premises on time," he promised.

"Who were you calling?"

"No one, just making a few plans," he shrugged.

"You think you're going out tonight? You still have a head wound," she protested.

"He's fine," Logan assured his wife, but she glared at him.

"Did a doctor tell you that?" she inquired.

"No, but I have eyes. He's standing, breathing, no longer bleeding from the head," Logan looked his son over approvingly.

"If he had a concussion, he wouldn't be moving around today," Tristan piped up, having had one in the past.

Amy glared at him too.

"Sorry," he winced, looking to his wife for support.

"Well, you know how the song goes," Grey spoke up in support of his friend. "You can't keep a good man down."

"Yes, be glad your son at least has plans," Miel comforted Amy, but her gaze was directed at her son.

"And Mom scores one from out of left field," Rosa harped on her brother.

"Don't you have dreams?" Miel asked, still clearly frustrated at her son's lack of inclination toward anything academic past electives and required courses.

"Yes!" he said. "Every night, when I close my eyes," he smirked.

A smirk of that nature earned him a smack.

"I'm serious, you have to have a dream, something that fills you with a sense of purpose," Miel urged.

Grey got quiet for a moment, contemplative, and nodded. "Well, there is something."

Miel perked up, and gripped her husband's hand, ready for her son's finest hour. "What is it?"

He swallowed, stood up, and opened his mouth. "I… I always wanted to be… a lumberjack."

From their seats on the opposite side of the table, his two best friends began to hum the Monty Python favorite, the opening notes softly crescendoing at the ready for him to sing about how he wants to be just like his dear Papa.

Ella couldn't contain her giggles, along with about half of the table and the waiter that had brought in fresh rounds of orange juice and coffee, but Rosa rolled her eyes and yanked her brother down into his seat.

"Don't be an idiot," she grumbled.

"You want to be a funny man, fine," Miel said with finality. "I'm done bugging you. But if you aren't declared as something by next fall, your tuition will be your responsibility."

Grey's mouth opened to protest, but his father shook his head. Now was not the time to discuss the matter further.

"I don't believe they offer Logging as a major at Yale," Finn said finally, as if finally waking out of his haze. It got a smile out of everyone, including Miel, and Katherine simply shook her head and handed him a cup of coffee.

XXXX

"Excellent!" the group leader encouraged. "No hesitation at all," she beamed as Anna helped Will back up to his feet. "Next in line," she ordered.

Dave got up on the small platform and turned to look at Mallory, who stood just down off the edge, at the ready to catch him just as Anna had caught Will.

"You aren't supposed to turn around, Dave," she clearly read his name off his stick-a-tag. "The whole point is to have total faith in your partner."

Mallory tried to keep her knowing smile under wraps, as Dave opened his mouth. "What I have faith in are the laws of gravity and physics. I'm much bigger than she is."

"Love defies logic," she tsked. "Now turn around and cross your arms over your chest."

"This isn't about trusting her," he complained as he did as she said, but failed to fall backward.

"How long have you been married?" the leader sighed.

"A couple of weeks, why?" he asked, now turning back around against orders.

The leader turned to Will and Anna, the first volunteers and therefore the first successful members of the group to have completed the task.

"And how long have you been married?" she inquired.

"One day," Will answered automatically, full of pride and devoid of thought. It was only when he felt the tug of Anna's hand on his sleeve that he felt a pang of realization. He looked up to see Dave's jaw had literally hit the floor, not caring whether Mal was able to catch that or not. Mallory was too intrigued to be worrying about Dave—her eyebrows raised in surprise, excitement, and joy.

They both spoke at once.

"Are you stupid?"

"This is great!"

Dave turned to Mallory. "They didn't tell anyone!" he exclaimed.

"I think it's romantic!" she pointed at them, still smiling. Anna tucked her arm around Will, smiling up at him as he hugged her to him.

"Romantic? They've just committed the crime of the century, but who cares? It's romantic? It's gonna be a bloodier scene than _Romeo and Juliet_ when we get home, but who cares? They're in love, those quirky kids," he went off sarcastically.

"Wait, does this mean you are or aren't registered as married," was the therapist's only concern as the two continued to argue. Will raised his shoulders in uncertainty and looked at her sheepishly. "Uh," he began.

"They were selfish!" Dave yelled.

"It's their life, not their parents' or yours or anyone else's," Mallory quipped in.

"You think this is a good idea?"

The last voice didn't belong to Dave—it was female voice of another couple. Soon, all of the couples were erupting into tiny fires—first disagreeing over whether or not what Will and Anna had done was acceptable, then bursting into larger issues more specific to their own relationships. Soon the whole room was filled with words like, 'money,' 'your mother,' and 'whorebag.' All the while, Will and Anna stood in the middle of it all, next to the floundering therapist, who pulled out a walkie-talkie and requested back-up to conference room C.

XXXX

Coming out the bathroom and finally having taken her sunglasses off after splashing her face with cool water, Ella stopped when she saw Grey coming out of the men's room.

"I know what you're thinking," he nodded.

"Oh, really? Do share," she acquiesced.

"You're thinking we should get this group together more often," he said with all seriousness. "But do you realize the importance of all the people in that room? I mean, these are very busy people, and they can't just drop their lives at the whim of your desire to entertain you on this grand a level every weekend. Perhaps once a month, but even that will take some convincing."

"Yale law," she said.

"Excuse me?"

"You've got a lot of BS in there; it shouldn't go to waste."

He rolled his eyes. "Hand it over."

"What?"

"The cash my mother slipped you."

Ella pushed him softly. "Why won't you just declare something? I mean, it's not like your fate is sealed when you do, lots of people change majors, some have more majors than dates in college."

"That's a travesty, Ms. Dugrey," he shook his head.

"Hey, I'm already ahead of the curve, right?" she boasted.

"Touché," he granted. "I'm just not into labels right now, okay?"

"Trust me, no one will take you seriously enough to get your name engraved on anything," she began. "You've dragged your feet this long. Just keep using words like, 'kind of,' and 'sorta,' when you talk about your certainty of graduating with a degree in Lumberjacking," she winked.

He looked at her, in a way that he hadn't to that point. "I don't want to follow down false paths."

"Oh," she said softly, not having a proper retort. For once he wasn't kidding her, he wasn't making light of either of their situations. He was just being real, and if she detected it correctly, apprehensive of what loomed ahead of him—or what didn't loom ahead of him.

"We should get back. They'll want to start the hugging and crying and carrying on soon."

She smiled at that attempt of normalcy from him, and allowed him to play the proper gentleman, letting her go first.

XXXX

Grey got back to his room that night, alone thanks to his cohorts having had better things to do other than to go back to their room and think. Parents had retreated, off to homes new and old; and interested parties had slipped back where they belonged once security was reinstated at the hands of the guilty and longing. And he was still without a path.

There was a small package propped up against his front door, and he leaned down to see his name scrawled in perfectly neat cursive writing. Taking it in his hands, he peeled back the wrapping and uncovered a copy of Frost's _The Road Not Taken_.

Smiling to himself, he opened his door, already reading over the familiar verses, and went inside.


	52. Chapter 52

"I told you not to listen to that guy," Rory popped a piece of ice out of what had been an iced latte—though whether actual coffee had been involved in the process of making her drink was more than questionable. It tasted suspiciously like iced-down Swiss Miss to her. They'd stopped because it was the first building in a hundred miles; it had bathrooms, gas, cold beverages, and apparently a half-wit named Jim Bob that gave Tristan directions to a shortcut to the interstate, which continued to elude them. "It's going to be dark in a few hours."

"You're starting to sound like a cheesy horror movie," Tristan admonished. "We'll be home by nightfall. He said to turn off on a gravel road when we pass a dilapidated barn—I've yet to see a barn. He probably just got the mileage wrong."

"I'm shocked he knew the word dilapidated," Rory mused. "I mean, he was wearing bib overalls as if they were a fashion statement."

"He didn't use the word," Jake snorted. "I believe his exact phrasing was, 'Onest ya'll get down there ter the ol' barn, one that the last twister hit real hard, but it's still a-standin'," Jake did a spot on imitation.

"Now that sounds like something Overall Man might have said," Rory raised an amused eyebrow at her husband. "So, we're driving further into the middle of nowhere, looking for a structure that may have fallen down since Cooter last saw it?" she summarized.

"His name was Jim Bob… Cooter was the guy that came in for beer," Tristan clarified.

"These are all nicknames, right?" Jake asked, his head peeking over the armrest that separated his parents.

"Just do me a favor and don't bring home any girls called Missy or Sissy or Bitty," Rory pleaded.

"Hey—I dated a Sissy," Tristan defended. "And a Missy; a Trixie; Sugar; Sweetie," he continued until Rory pinched him right under his ribs.

"What about Lem?" she inquired.

"Lem?"

"It's short for Lemon," she crunched more ice.

"Who would name their kid Lemon?" Tristan asked, true mystification covering his features as he paused his search for a tornado-weary barn to look at his wife.

"She went to school with us! She was a Puff."

"Oooh! And a Muffin," he cleared his throat. "Briefly."

Rory rolled her eyes. "They were all brief."

"I think it's safe to say that I won't be dating anyone who sounds like they just fell off a dessert tray," Jake assured them.

"Hey is that…." Tristan peered out the front windshield, looking at what he hoped wasn't a mirage.

"What used to be a barn—there's the gravel road!" Rory crunched her ice happily.

"Thank you, Cooter," Tristan mused.

"Jim Bob," Jake corrected.

"Whatever," Tristan muttered as he navigated them off the pavement and toward their new home.

XXXX

Rosa prepared her speech one last time as she gave a courtesy knock with one hand, easing the door open with the other. That gave the two people on the couch just enough time to yank cushions off of the back of the couch to hide the evidence of their clearly disrobed state.

"Ohmigod!" she shielded her eyes, turning immediately so that her back faced the pair to be safe, despite aching to remain looking on to confirm that the girl hadn't had long brown hair and piercing blue eyes.

"I was looking for Grey," she offered honestly.

"He's not here," Pax nearly yelped.

"You know where he is?" she continued on, propriety be damned. It was college, after all. She did have the good sense not to giggle as she heard the rustling of clothes and the unmistakable sound of zippers being fastened.

"Uh, he said something about his advisor's office—he was babbling about camping, dreams, poems—I don't know exactly what his problem was."

"Right," she frowned, taking steps toward the door now, still not looking back at the pair. "I'm just gonna go. Tell him to call me?"

"Sure."

"Oh, and um, nice to meet you," she offered with a backward wave and then was gone. Once on the other side of the door, she shuddered and wondered just how she'd keep this morsel of information from Ella.

XXXX

Lorelai let herself in through her back door, having made a pit stop visit at her neighbor's house to chat after work. It was still light well past dinner time, and she enjoyed the way the summer lifestyle held on through the beginnings of fall, even though people's schedules went the way of structure; school and work in full swing. Her house itself, however, was darker than normal at this hour. She knew Luke was home, yet there were no lights on to cast a light down the hallway toward her. As she edged down the hall toward the living room, she saw the faint glow of candles. Stepping full on into the room, she gasped a bit, then broke out into a full smile as she saw the candles, flowers, and dinner laid out on a blanket on the floor.

"Hey, you're home. I was just going to search the neighborhood," he stood up from where he'd been arranging the food to come give her a kiss.

"You should have; I was at Babette's," she leaned against him. "What's all this?"

"Well, I was going to have a fire, but it's still too warm out, and I didn't have any firewood chopped, so I thought candles would be enough; of course, realizing we didn't have any firewood made me think of about ten other things I need to do before winter, so I made a list," he leaned his head to one side as she smiled at his derailment of thought.

"You're such a good provider."

"Sit down," he urged, taking her bags from her and letting her ease onto the floor as she looked over the spread.

"Oh my God! You made cheesecake, the fancy tater tots, Pop Tarts, filet mignon, and Pixie Stix? Is it our anniversary?"

"No," he shook his head as he joined her back on the floor, grabbing the vegetables he'd prepared for himself. "This is just one of those spontaneous things that we guys get to do to surprise the woman that puts up with us."

She arched an eyebrow. "I thought it was the other way around."

He shrugged. "I felt bad, you seemed really freaked out after I wouldn't let that stupid news segment go," he trailed off.

She nodded and tapped the floor with a Pixie Stix. "Am I that transparent?"

"I know you pretty well by now—I should have known better not to harp on it," he clarified.

"No, it was stupid. I mean, it's not us, right?"

"Right," he nodded, not lying but feeling as if he were. They hadn't been on the news, but that didn't make their wedding any more official. "But it worked out well—you still get a romantic evening, right?"

She smiled. "I should make you feel guilty more often, I definitely agree. Have you done anything else I shouldn't know about for another week? I have my eye on this pair of shoes," she grinned wickedly.

"Maybe we'll just have to come up with an occasion you need new shoes for," he leaned in toward her, kissing her shoulder.

"Okay," she said cautiously. "Where is Luke and what have you done with him?"

"I'm serious. We could renew our vows or something."

"Renew our vows?" she asked, popping three tater tots in her mouth and chewing thoughtfully. "Why?"

"Why not?"

"Luke, you hate dressing up; you hate speaking in front of big audiences; you hate dancing; you hate basically everything that a wedding entails. And you seriously want to reenact our wedding for no apparent reason?"

"It wouldn't have to be exactly like our first wedding; we could do things differently. You always said you'd loved to have gotten married in a more private ceremony," he reminded her.

"I just didn't want my mother there, picking at my dress and hair and choice of canapés, or the fact that our son was the ring bearer," she groaned. "I mean, what were we supposed to do with him? Hide him in a cupboard until all the relatives went home?"

"Well, your mother wouldn't be at this one," he offered with a smile.

"You give her so little credit. You think Emily Gilmore couldn't muster it up to get her gauzy, ghostly self to a church to tell me that daisies are nothing more than a weed and don't belong growing in a churchyard, never mind the fact they are inappropriate to carry as one's bouquet?"

Luke chuckled. "We'll have a séance first."

"You mean an exorcism," she corrected.

"Whatever. What else would you have changed?"

"Hmm," she tore open a Pixie Stix and poured some on her tongue. "Well, I would have made sure Kirk was wearing underwear under that kilt."

Luke shuddered—both at the visual image she'd just conjured up and the fact that Kirk was the one responsible for getting him into this mess in the first place.

"I would have made sure Patty hadn't had the microphone on when she told me that Rory had disappeared into the stables with Tristan at the reception," she shook her head in amusement, "Though it was pretty funny when everyone turned to see them coming out, him picking straw out of her hair."

"That wasn't funny," he gruffed.

"Luke, they're married now. She made an honest man of him, it's okay," she teased. "Let's see. Mom's dead, so she got hers," she teased. "I wouldn't change anything else."

"Nothing else? Not the color of your dress?"

"I don't see why you were so insistent on my wearing white. Our son was the ring bearer. My daughter was my maid of honor. The jig was up, oh so long before we got married. Even the Reverend has asked me to be the Woman of Questionable Morals for the reenactment, remember?"

Luke sighed. "I just thought that brides wore white—not pink."

"It wasn't pink; there was pink on it. There's a difference. What about you; what would you change, other than the color of my dress?" she asked the last part like it was killing her to even mention again.

"Well, like you said, the underwear thing," he began. "I don't know. Fewer people, maybe just us and an officiator."

"You would have put Will in the cupboard?" she asked.

"No; but most kids don't see their parents get married. We could have left him with Sookie."

"Well, it was his second home," she nodded. "But Sookie would have maimed me if we didn't let her come and cater the whole thing."

"If we disappointed everyone, then at least they'd all be even," he pointed out.

"Okay, you would have had a mountain-in-the-woods wedding. Bark for appetizers? You would have interlinked arms and fed me wild berries for dessert?" she teased.

"You know, if we renewed our vows, we could have a second honeymoon," he argued.

"You mean the first one is over? I better start wearing night cream and rollers to bed," she took a drink of wine.

"You won't even think about this?"

"When would we have time to plan a wedding? Work is crazy right now, we'll have Will and Anna's wedding to plan," she ticked off reasons not to.

"It might not be ideal, but I think it would be nice to do something for us."

"Then let's just get away—finally take a trip that we always say we're gonna make time to take. Who needs the hassle of a wedding? We'll just jump in the car and go somewhere fabulous."

"Lorelai," he sighed.

"It's sweet, really, that you thought of all of that, but our wedding was perfect—even with all the little imperfections and unforeseen happenings. Really, I don't need a do over. I just need more nights, just like this—spontaneous and romantic time alone with you. That's all I need."

He should have been relieved at her words, but a nagging voice in the back of his head reminded him that the only way he could keep her from the pain of knowing the truth of the situation was for her to agree to a renewal. But he had to kiss her, and linger against her, as she spoke words that he'd hoped to hear from her at this stage of her life. That she was happy with her reality as she knew it. She wouldn't change a thing.

He wished he didn't have to, either.

XXXX

The day after the group cat-fight, Dave had refused to speak to Will. Their rooms had officially been switched, so that Will and Anna were bunking together, and Dave was no longer in fear of breaking the rules by sleeping in the same bed as his wife. If Will was in the dining room, Dave declared himself not hungry; he switched group therapy sessions because of a sudden headache, and generally sidestepped any confrontation.

But when his sister showed up at his doorstep on Monday afternoon, he had no choice but to let her in. She smiled as she leaned into the door frame, watching him move to sit on the unmade bed before she stepped into the room.

"You guys have a fight?" he asked. "It's not too late to get an annulment, then no one would ever have to find out," he began.

"Dave," she sighed. "I'm married. We're not getting an annulment. Our only problem right now is that my brother won't speak to or look at my husband."

"I'm not going to apologize; I'm not the one that ran off and got married without telling anyone."

"No, but I am. And you're talking to me."

"You're my sister, and it's not like I believe this was your idea."

"No matter whose idea it was, I can assure you that I wanted this just as much as he did. If not more," she put her left hand, which now sported her wedding-banded ring finger.

"How are you going to tell Mom and Dad?"

"We don't know, yet," she admitted.

"Luke and Lorelai?"

"Again, we're not sure," she frowned.

"Are you going to tell them together, or tell one set first to get them to help you out, assuming they will," he rambled.

"What about you?"

"What about me?"

"You know—and I'm going to assume that by the time we get home you will have gotten over yourself enough to be happy for us and want to help us break out news in the easiest way possible," she led.

Dave shrugged.

"Come on," she nudged him with her shoulder. "You're going to tell me you aren't happy for me?"

"Well, you two are perfect one another—stubborn, headstrong, annoying," he smiled as he continued.

"Go talk to him. Make nice, and we'll all go to dinner together."

"Ann, just because you're married doesn't mean you can start bossing us around."

"I've been bossing you around for years. Now go," she pointed to the door.

"I'm your older brother. I'm allowed to be concerned for you. I've always looked out for you," he reminded.

"Yes, you have. And you know who else always has looked out for me?" she prodded.

"Dad?" he offered, hopeful not to let her win this conversation.

"Davey," she wrinkled her nose.

"Don't make me say it."

"You not saying it doesn't make it any less true," she baited. "You know you're happy about this, somewhere deep, deep, _deep_ down."

He tilted his head and gave in. "I couldn't image anyone more suited for you than Will. I think most of the nights he spent over at our house were more to be near you than me," he consented. "But I don't have to like that you guys skulked off."

Anna sighed. "We didn't skulk. There was just so much hovering over us. All the preparations would have killed us; we were already trying to figure out if all the backlash from my rape would get in our way, or if his feelings from what Bree did to him would cause problems later on," she shook her head. "But then, we realized that we needed the other one to get through any problems we've had in the past, and we'll need each other for any problems that might crop up. It's just always been him, and that's never going to change. We didn't need anyone to tell us that, and we wanted our wedding to be just ours. We'll figure out how to tell our parents, we really will. And we think everyone, in the end, will be happy."

Dave hugged his sister and kissed the top of her head. "Fine, I'll talk to him. But I reserve the right to put him in a headlock."

Anna nodded solemnly, holding all comments about how Will could totally take him to herself. "Mal and I will stand by with a hose."

Dave shook his head and left his sister alone in his room, off to go talk to his oldest friend and new brother-in-law.

XXXX

Jules groaned at the unraveling mess of yarn that kept falling off the needles and onto her lap.

"GAH! Crap! I suck."

"You don't suck," Gwen reassured her. "It just takes a while to get the hang of it. Try again," she encouraged.

Jules looped the thread like she was shown the first thirty times, and then she emitted an apartment-filling groan that brought Jess out from the kitchen.

"Still?"

"She's trying," Gwen shot him a look to shut him up, to no avail.

"Hey, you know what the definition of insanity is?" he asked.

"She'll get it. Practice makes perfect."

"There is something to be said for prodigies," Jess smirked.

"She only has another six months," Ambrose came through to grab a soda. "What possessed you to learn to knit?"

"I want to do something nice for the baby," she frowned as the yarn slipped through her fingers again.

"What about doing something nice for your existing sibling that likes peace and quiet?" he prodded.

Jules leaned her head back to glare at her father. "Can we ship him off to live with Aunt Rory in Raleigh? Just because Jake's gone, he insists on being in a mood."

"I think he'd rather be carted off to live with Ella," Jess surmised, earning a glare and a walk-off from his son.

"Someone's grumpy," he called after him in jest, just before the door slammed shut. "What happened with the girl?" Jess posed the question to his daughter.

"Like I care—hey, I did it!" she held up the beginning of a chain, but her finger slipped and it was gone as suddenly as it appeared. "Crap," she muttered.

"How is Rory?" Gwen glanced up only momentarily from what was clearly becoming something useful and not a pile of yarn.

"All I know is I haven't received an SOS yet," he smirked. "Can you watch dinner for a sec?"

"She's watching me!" Jules reminded with a huff.

"She can hear you yell 'crap' from the kitchen," Jess responded and disappeared into the bedroom.

XXXX

"Greetings from the Big Apple."

"You really need to stop beating that old horse. It's tired."

"But it's my favorite horse."

Rory sighed and put her book down. "Did you call for a purpose?"

"Just wanted to see how you were liking it down in the boondocks."

"Have you ever even been to North Carolina?"

"Once—Erin wanted to go to the beach. We didn't stay long. She got sunburned and the kids wanted to bury me in the sand. There is only so much one man can take."

"We don't live on the beach."

"How descriptive of you."

"The house is fine; I've got a bunch of things unpacked. Tristan is still at work. He says he'll have to work a lot of late nights at first, to get everything in order. Jake is at some try out. So I made some mac and cheese and I'm almost done with my book."

"What are you reading?"

"_The Bell Jar_."

"Rory. Call Tristan."

"I'm fine."

"He'd come home. Even if he had to leave once you fell asleep to make you feel better."

"It's not even dark yet. They'll be home soon."

"You want me to come down and visit?"

"Jess, I don't need you to baby-sit me."

"How about Lorelai? I'm sure she could take some time off to hang out with you until things settle in."

"Mom's busy at the Inn, and Luke is driving her crazy about renewing their vows or something weird like that; not to mention the fact that she's about to be really busy planning Will's wedding."

"You'll get to come home for that; is it soon?"

"They haven't set a date yet. I was thinking of coming up before that, though, just to visit."

"Stop by the city and I'll buy you a slice."

"From Guido's?"

"Where else?" he deadpanned.

Rory smiled. "Thanks, Jess."

"Anytime."

"So, what's going on there? I want every last detail, no matter how mundane. I spent the afternoon arranging bath towels in the linen closet."

Jess chuckled. "Well, Ambrose is brooding about the fact that he's in New York and the girl of his dreams is in Connecticut."

"Like father like son," she teased.

"Once upon a time," he conceded. "Jules is learning to knit."

"You're kidding."

"Well, I should say she's playing with yarn and yelling 'crap' a lot."

Rory giggled. "What brought on the sudden domesticity?"

"She wants to make baby booties," he gruffed.

"Aww—sweet. So, the kids are taking the news well?"

"Yeah. Now we just have to tell everyone else."

"Well, Luke knows, and I know."

"And her sister knows, and Erin. That just leaves our parents and the extended family."

"Doesn't sound so bad."

"Says the woman that doesn't have to put up with my mother calling here every five minutes, asking if we've considered under-water, silent birthing experiences or natural herbs instead of epidurals."

"Natural herbs?"

"That's Mom's kid-friendly code for pot," he laughed.

"That's… the most horrifying thing I've ever heard."

"Yeah, makes Lorelai seem docile, huh?"

"It really does."

There was a comfortable silence on the line, but both felt the distance that loomed between them.

"You sure you don't want me to come visit? We could drive around and at least scope out the good take-out restaurants. See how many 'new to the neighborhood' freebies we can scam?"

"You've got your hands full," she bit her lip.

"But I owe you. I would have blown my brains out at some point in the last year if not for you and Tristan."

"I was just doing my job," she assured him. "Your brains are too good to be wasted."

"So let me do mine. Gwen won't mind. Leaving her alone with my kids is just good training."

"It's not so bad. I'm just not used to the whole 'no kids, no work, everyone is off doing something and I'm not' thing."

"You have worked hard for a long time. Taking a break doesn't mean you can't go back or start something new."

"I know."

"And I will print anything you decide to write."

"You don't hide your soft side as well as you think you do."

"I'm mellowing in my old age."

"Well, it works for you. Gwen's very lucky."

"Ror?" came the voice that made her awash in relief.

"'s that Tristan?"

"Yeah," she bit her lip. "I'll call you to let you know when I'm coming home."

"I can clear my schedule at a moment's notice," he reminded.

"And I'll have everyone down, when we're settled, to see the house and all that."

"Hey," Tristan appeared in the doorway as she remained on the line with Jess. 'Lorelai?' he mouthed.

"Tristan says hi," she said as she mouthed, 'Jess.'

He nodded and moved to hang his suit jacket up on the back of her vanity chair.

"Tell him I have no problem taking him out if it's the only way to get you to move back to the city."

Rory giggled. "I'll pass that on," she promised as they hung up. "You're home," she sat up on her knees and turned to face her half-dressed husband.

"You sound surprised to see me so soon."

"Well, you had me thinking you'd be home about a half hour before you had to leave again," she pouted.

"Like I'd pass up the opportunity to sleep next to the most beautiful woman on the eastern seaboard," he looked her over as only he could. Being married to him for the last twenty or so years didn't alter his ability to make her feel like the sole object of his desire and blush under his scrutiny.

"Only the eastern seaboard?"

"Well, there are a few states I've never gotten around to," he scratched his chin. "What do you think the women of North Dakota look like?"

"You saw _Fargo_," she glared.

"Ri-iii-ght," he moved to hug her. "So, you bored out of your mind yet?"

"Let's just say our house is very well organized," she sighed.

"When's Jake due back?"

"I don't know. After try-outs?" she guessed.

"So, how about dinner out? On me."

She ran a hand through his hair, slightly ruffling it. "Shouldn't I have dinner waiting on you after a long hard day of work? I've never done the whole housewife thing."

"You mean I would have to eat what you cooked after being put through the ringer at work?" he teased.

"Hey!" she laughed. "I can zap stuff."

"Well, if we go to a restaurant, I bet we can have something more substantial than Hot Pockets and tater tots."

"Well, I have all this time now—I could take cooking classes."

"You could," he frowned.

"Or learn a new language," she sounded excited.

"Okay," he nodded.

"I could take a dance class."

"You'd be endangering others," he pointed out.

She shook her head. "I can dance with you."

"Because I'm a strong male lead. You wouldn't be able to dance with just anyone—you need someone to steer your limbs before they knock things over."

"I'm just saying I should do something useful with my time."

He held her against him tighter. "It's not forever. And if you're really unhappy here," he began.

"I was thinking—maybe Mom could come down, help me redecorate, be someone to get around town with. It might help me to get the feel of the area sooner."

"Anything you want."

"You'd really be okay with two Lorelais under one roof, eating Funyons, having a Coppola marathon, and ordering from every single takeout place in the county?"

"At least you'll be well-fed and entertained. I've found if the Lorelais are happy, then I'm at peace," he patted her behind. "Now go change and let's go."

XXXX

Ella kept looking at her roommate, who had been rather silent through dinner and the evening of studying. They'd had dinner alone together, as the boys all had things to get done—which was odd enough. But Rosa's refusal to discuss much other than her Ethics class just made her wonder if she weren't taking the whole Ambrose thing too hard. When a knock came at their door, she stood up to answer it, but stopped to stand in front of her friend.

"Do you want to talk about it?"

"About what?" Rosa asked.

"Whatever it is. I'm a great listener. Even if it's about Ambrose," she hinted.

Rosa blinked in surprise. "I'd… actually forgotten about that."

"Then what's going on?"

"Get the door," she evaded.

"Fine, but don't think whoever it might be will dissuade me."

"We'll see," Rosa smiled.

Ella narrowed her eyes, but moved to the door. When she opened it, she found no person, but a basket wrapped in cellophane with a card attached bearing her name.

"What's that?"

"I don't know," she said, putting it on their coffee table and unwrapping it slowly. "Coffee," she began as she pulled out the items one by one. "A book of Russian poetry," she smiled softly. "Reinforcements," she held up the circular school supplies, "and a Yale keychain."

"That's the weirdest assortment of items I've ever heard of," Rosa knelt down to peer at the card. "Who is it from?"

Ella giggled, unable to catch her breath. Rosa looked to see what was so funny. "Secret admirer?"

"This is a joke, right? Grey's idea?"

Rosa shook her head. "Grey?"

"I gave him a copy of Frost's _The Road Less Traveled_. This has to be a thank you, or a joke, or something, right?"

Rosa narrowed her eyes in realization. "He's been gone all afternoon. He wouldn't have had time."

"Pax? Maybe to make up for this weekend? He knows I love coffee and school supplies," she guessed.

"Um, he was pretty indisposed as well."

Ella frowned at the vague response. "That leaves Jasper."

"Jasper wouldn't pull something like this. He's very straightforward—it's not a secret that he's after you."

Ella nodded. "True. So a new, mystery boy."

"The keychain is a bit of a head scratcher."

"It's Dan, wearing his little Yale flag. It's cute," she held up the miniature-sized dog.

"I want a secret admirer," Rosa pouted.

"You can share mine if you tell me what it is you are hiding from me."

"It's nothing—you'll find out sooner than later. I swear."

"Fine. Now, shall I make coffee? It's flavored," she read the packet. "It's supposed to be infused with extracts to make our cares float away as if on a cloud."

"Better make mine a double," Rosa nodded, continuing to leaf through the paper confetti of the basket, as if to make sure no other clues were hidden just beneath the surface.


	53. Chapter 53

Rosa opened her door that morning, book bag slung over her shoulder and just caffeinated enough to register that there was an obstacle to her crossing the threshold to the world of academia.

At her feet was another bundle of items with a large card that bore the name of her roommate. Taking a deep sigh, she picked it up and moved to put it on the coffee table with the other trinkets of appreciation that Ella was racking up. She looked to her closed door, wondering just how fair it was that she was able to sleep in and receive gifts while the rest of the world was up jamming stimulants down their throat and wishing for even a piece of campus mail. Surely she wouldn't mind if Rosa just snuck a peek at the contents of today's gift bag of goodies.

Reaching her hand into the bag, she first felt what felt like a candy bar—she shook her head when she saw the Power Bar. She was sure Ella would be plenty rested by the time she rolled out of bed for her noon class today. This guy was clearly not trying to stay on the good side of her friends. Next she extracted a plastic duck, with a knowing look and horns on top of its head. She set the Devil Duck down next to the Power Bar and reached in to what felt like an empty bag.

"Holy crap!" she exclaimed, loud enough to produce a groggy, mussed-hair version of her normally kempt roommate.

"What?" she demanded, beginning to take in the full scene. "Hey, what is that?"

"You got another gift bag," she said dismissively before holding up tickets. "They're for Chaos, this weekend."

"That show is sold out—I tried to get tickets a couple weeks ago," Ella yawned, too tired to realize that her roommate actually held some of the much-sought-after tickets.

"Two tickets to see Chaos at The Triangle Room," she read off of the paper that had been paper clipped to the pair. "Enjoy with the guest of your choice," she read. "Me, right?"

Ella snatched the tickets from Rosa's hands, to inspect the typewritten note. "Nothing about meeting him there? Just for me to do with as I please?" she asked the question anyhow, knowing she'd get no real answer. "That doesn't make any sense."

"Focus—you're taking your fed-up with dating friend, right?" Rosa reiterated.

"Does that duck have horns?" she picked up the other two items, inspecting the duck with hesitancy.

"Ella!"

"I don't know! Everyone we know would kill to go to this show. Do you know anyone that doesn't like Chaos?"

Rosa shook her head. "Maybe whoever it is already has his own tickets, and he's gonna watch you from afar."

Ella scrunched her nose. "That's kinda creepy."

"So is that duck," she pointed out.

Ella put the duck down and unwrapped the Power Bar, taking a bite off of one corner. "So, you really want to be my date?"

Rosa smiled. "What time will you pick me up?"

Ella smiled. "Seven—and bring your spy gear."

"What?"

"We have to find the guy at the concert."

"But—that's crazy. Even if he is going, the place will be packed beyond capacity. It'll be impossible."

Ella smiled and headed back to the comfort of her bed. "Those are the stipulations. You in or out?"

"In," Rosa grumbled, vowing to herself then and there to find the giver of these gifts before Saturday so she could enjoy Chaos in peace.

XXXX

Jules dropped the phone into Jess' lap, causing him to stop rubbing Gwen's feet and tilt his head back to look at his daughter.

"It's Grandma Liz," she said happily, and he groaned softly, handing the phone back to her.

"Tell her I'm not home."

"Too late."

"Why do you hate me?" he pouted.

"It's your mother," she nudged him.

"That didn't work with you the last few months," he reminded.

Jules sighed. "We all have to do things we don't enjoy," she advised. "I'm going out with Court, I'll see you later."

"Ten o'clock," he called after her.

"Ten thirty!" she called back.

"You want me or the police to find you?" he yelled.

"Ten o'clock," was the last thing he heard before the door closed behind his daughter. He looked to Gwen, still not answering the call yet. "Why do I have so many of those things that I don't enjoy?"

She shot him a look of apathy then nudged his leg with her very relaxed foot. He sighed and picked up the cordless. "Liz," he said in a monotone voice.

"Jessie!"

"I'm a grown man," he urged. "Jess will suffice."

"You're still my baby."

"So this is still considered child abuse?" he asked hopefully.

"I was talking to Erin," she offered.

"Oh God," he winced.

"She was talking about how she came out with Jimmy to see you and the kids," she began.

"Okay," he found he was holding his breath, now terrified that Erin was getting back at him by confiding in the one person that could annoy him the most on this earth….

"And I'm gonna be in New York this weekend, talking to a vendor about my jewelry," she began.

"With TJ?" he let out a belabored moan, his eyes already closed as to shut out the impending family togetherness even now.

"He can't make it," she said, as if Jess might actually be let down. Perhaps in some alternate reality where all men wore tights and boasted about this fact. "He's gonna be up in Maine, manning the booth. I'm just coming down for two days. He says he doesn't know what he'll do without me," she cooed.

"I can believe that."

"He's still your stepfather," she warned, finally catching his sarcasm.

"Shocking," he said simply.

"I want to see you and the kids. It's been too long."

"I'm not the vagrant that lives out of a Volkswagen bus ten months of the year," he shrugged.

"It isn't fair that you let Jimmy come and not me," she warned.

"I never said you couldn't come."

"Can I stay at your apartment, then?"

"No way," he shot the idea right down.

"Jules thought it was a great idea," she hedged.

"Jules doesn't pay the mortgage," he said, in a carefree attitude. "Jimmy didn't stay here either. Fair is fair."

"I gave you a roof over your head until you were on your own," she leveraged.

"You gave me many roofs over my head," he remembered. "You even sent me to live under someone else's roof."

"You're mad that I sent you to live with Luke? I thought we were past that!" she exclaimed.

"I am. And Luke is welcome here any time."

Liz sighed. "But I get a dinner or something?"

"As long as my children don't come back with permanent scars on them, including tattoos or piercings, you are welcome to see them anytime."

"You're still mad about that? You looked so cute!"

"Cute is a disturbing word and completely subjective."

"You were the only five year old in your class with an earring, and it was all the rage at the time. It's not like it didn't grow back after you hid the earring from me," she pouted.

"There's still a mark," he retorted.

"You're still harboring resentments—Jess, you have to let these things go. You'll be sorry when I'm gone."

"I find that extracting my revenge in small ways is very cathartic. I learned it from Luke, so if you don't like it, you have only yourself to blame," he grinned.

Liz sighed. "I'll be done with my first meeting on Friday at 4:30."

"I'll be at work," he began.

"I'd love to see your office!"

"No way," he shook his head. "Just, stay out of trouble until about six; I'll be home and so will the kids."

"But I want to see where you do all your important publishing stuff!" she encouraged.

"I hear there's a new blown glass exhibit at the Met," he offered.

"Fine. Six o'clock. I'll bring dessert."

"Fine," he said, hanging up and looking forlorn at Gwen.

"Your mother's coming?" she asked, trying to sound as if it might be positive.

"God help us all."

XXXX

Pax looked up as Rosa as she stood behind the chair across from his at the dining table.

"You gonna eat standing up?

"I wasn't sure if I should sit down."

"Do you have some sort of communicable disease?" he asked.

She huffed. "I just meant, I wasn't sure if someone might join you."

"Evidently you might—though it might be too soon to tell."

She put her tray down and slid the chair back. She didn't take her eyes off of him, as if she were waiting for him to speak or burst into flame.

"What?"

"Nothing," she smiled forcibly as she shoved her fork into her mac and cheese. "What's new?"

"Rosa," he sighed. "Look, I was gonna tell you."

"Tell me what?" she leaned forward, in disbelief at how easy this particular puzzle was going to be to solve.

"About Lindsey."

"Who?"

"The, uh, couch thing? The other day?" he offered.

"Oh," she looked down, hoping her cheeks weren't quite as stained as they felt.

"I just felt kind of weird about it," he shrugged, pushing his own food around with his fork.

"Why?"

He shrugged, finally meeting her eyes again. "With everything going on, I just," he sighed. "I didn't want to put you in the middle of all of it. I know you hate it."

Rosa smiled. "I just want everyone to be happy, Pax. Whether for you that means being with Ella, or Lindsey, or whoever."

He nodded. "Did you tell her?"

"No," she bit her lip, ready to start her probing questions. "There hasn't been time, we've been trying to figure out a mystery, actually."

"A mystery, huh?" his eyes twinkled. "Do tell."

Rosa was nearly sure she had him, red-handed and all. He did revel in his acts of mischief, and his eyes gave him away every time. "Well, we have something of a secret admirer situation going on."

"I do hope whoever it is, he's showing his appreciation for both of you," he smiled genuinely.

She scoffed. "Hardly. Whoever it is, he's clearly focused on Ella."

"A smart man wouldn't string you along, anyhow. You're too straight to the chase for that."

Rosa nodded, not willing to be distracted. "Well, Ella's really appreciating it."

He nodded briefly. "Well, good. That actually makes things easier."

She frowned. "What?"

He shifted in his seat. "I figured I should introduce you guys to Lindsey, sooner rather than later."

"Excuse me?"

"Well, if things keep going as they are, she'll probably be around a lot, and I didn't want things to get weird."

"No, no, we wouldn't want things to get weird," she said sarcastically.

"Rose," he sighed. "Things are gonna get better, you'll see. Jasper and I had breakfast together this morning."

She looked up with a faint smile. "That's a start."

"I told him about Lindsey, we talked a bit," he trailed off. "I don't want to make it sound like everything is back to normal," he shrugged.

"But it's something," she encouraged. "I think that's great."

"Thanks," he smiled genuinely back at her. "We didn't discuss Ella," he admitted. "I thought we should talk about it, but as soon as I skirted the issue, he changed the subject."

Rosa wasn't quite sure what to make of this news. It was too vague to make her think one or the other was the mystery man. "What did you say?"

"I just said something about introducing Lindsey to you guys—that I hoped everyone would give her a shot."

Rosa winced. "And he just changed the subject?"

"It was more of a pained look in his eyes," he gritted his teeth. "And he made some joke about how you'll never approve of any woman I bring home to the herd," he shook his head.

"How mature of him," she rolled her eyes.

"He was just trying to avoid the conversation."

"Yeah," she shrugged it off. "Well, I'm sure Ella will go easy on you. Maybe her secret admirer will include a tranquilizer that day or something."

He gave a laugh. "What kind of stuff is the guy leaving?"

Rosa shrugged. "Oh, you know. Just your average, anonymous, brighten your day, adorable stuff."

Pax smiled. "As long as it makes her happy, right?"

Rosa eyed him carefully. "Right."

She groaned inwardly, as he continued to chat about other happenings in their lives, and wished this would have been a much more cut and dry conversation. She would have to interview the next of the usual suspects and hoped it wouldn't come down to shining a bright light on them into the wee hours of the morning until they cracked.

XXXX

Will stopped the car outside of Dave and Mallory's apartment. There was a comfortable silence over the car.

"You sure you don't want to stay for dinner?"

Anna turned to her sister-in-law. "We really should get back."

"You're really just gonna walk in and tell them?" Dave asked.

Will nodded as he gripped the steering wheel. "There just isn't any other way. I mean, technically we've kept it from them for days; we can't wait any longer."

Dave clapped him on the back. "Call if you need back up," he offered. "We can always come and tell them Mal is pregnant or some other vicious lie that would send them reeling."

"I have a feeling if we need backup, we'd need the National Guard. How about just crossing your fingers for things to go smoothly?" Will asked.

"It's a delusional place, your world," Dave smiled as he got out of the car.

As soon as they were officially alone, instead of putting the car into reverse, Will turned to Anna as the motor idled. He gave her a hesitant smile.

"You ready?"

She nodded. "We just have to do it quick. Like a Band-Aid."

"They'll be happy," he nodded, "Because we are. Right?"

"I've certainly never felt better," she promised.

He leaned his forehead to hers and brought his arm up over her shoulders. "If they do kill us, I want you to know it's been a pleasure to be your husband."

She giggled softly. "I think you're being a smidge overdramatic."

He kissed her. "Even so."

She patted his knee and jingled the keys that hung from the ignition. "Okay. Let's do this thing."

He turned to sit properly in the driver's seat and began the navigation toward their hometown.

XXXX

Rosa's next stop was going to be the boys' suite, but as she still hadn't worked out how to get Jasper by himself she felt it was destiny that she found him in line at a coffee cart by the library. She stepped in line next to him and tapped his shoulder, causing him to pull out his ear buds and stop singing, 'Ain't No Mountain High Enough,' just in time for him to make an addendum to his order, and ever the gentleman, he requested to make it two of what he'd just asked for. Rosa smiled and thanked him as she scanned his person for any recent purchases, but all she saw was his messenger bag slung over his shoulder.

"To what do I owe the pleasure?" he asked.

"Oh, I was just on my way," she looked up and pointed to the library. "To the library."

"With no books?" he asked, clearly amused.

"Well, they do have books there," she retorted, hating his ever-present attention to detail.

"True," he held in the chuckle that had made its way up his throat.

"What are you up to?" she inquired.

"I was just taking my books out for a walk. I find they like the fresh air," he mused.

"And the caffeine?" she held up her fresh cup of what she found to be a mocha.

He tsked. "It tends to stain, and cleaning them is just a bitch."

She sighed. "You on your way to study?"

"I've been known to, every once in a while. Besides, I find I run into beautiful girls that will ease the pain of studying if I venture out of my room now and then."

She smiled at his ease of sweet talking. She knew it wasn't directed at her; he just had trouble turning it off. Especially when he was attempting to divert someone's attention from his actual activities. "So, have you seen Ella tonight?"

He frowned. "No, why?"

She shrugged. "Nothing, I was just hoping to run into her."

"Don't you live with her?"

"Yes, but," she sighed. "I just have something of a time-sensitive nature to tell her, and she didn't pick up when I called our room."

"Try her cell," he offered.

"She has it off," she volleyed. "And her usual haunts are the coffee carts and the libraries, but so far," she shrugged.

"What's so important?" he ignored her implication that he, too, was in what were considered her home-away-from-home locales.

"Oh, nothing," she gave a flip of her hand.

"Rosa," he looked around suddenly, pulling her elbow gently to get her near the brick exterior of the library and away from potential eavesdroppers. "You know, don't you?"

"Know what?" she baited him, knowing full well that his detailed admission was the next thing to flow from his lips. While being a secret anything, least of all admirer, was not his style, his normal methods of catching and keeping Ella's attention had led to a split in the lives of nearly everyone they loved.

"You can't tell her," he shook his head. "I know you think you're being a good friend here, but think about it. Will it do anyone any good?"

"But she wants to know," she urged.

"She does?" he asked, completely taken aback.

"Of course! What girl wouldn't?"

Jasper scratched his jaw. "Any that wouldn't enjoy appearing on a raunchy day-time talk show, I would imagine."

"She thinks it's really sweet—in fact, she looks forward to each one."

"Each one?" he asked. "I get that she might hope that this one might not stick, the whole rebound theory, but…."

"Rebound?" she repeated, realizing that his odd remarks and hushed tones might not have so much to do with gift giving as she originally thought. "What are you talking about, exactly?"

"I just think it's better if Pax gets to tell her about his new girlfriend himself. I mean, it's all so fresh and recent, and from what he says, this could be serious. I know Ella says she's over him, but," he shrugged. "I just think it's best if we keep out of it."

"Oh," she nodded. "I agree. That's not… I mean, you're right. I did know, but I wasn't going be the one to tell her. Pax wants to introduce her to everyone soon anyhow," she offered.

"Then," he shook his head, searching her eyes for understanding of the source of their miscommunication.

"There's another situation," she bit her lower lip, the perfect lie jumping to her head to bait him.

"Situation?" he repeated. "Is something wrong?"

"No, it's just," she leaned in, full of conspiratorial intrigue. "She has a secret admirer."

His eyes widened. "Does she now?"

Rosa put a finger up to her lips. "She can't figure out who it is, and we've been trying all week. She's really into it, but she's dying to know who it is. And," she looked from side to side. "I caught a glimpse of this guy leaving as I was coming home; and there was a new bag on the doorstep."

"So, who is it?" he asked, his interest seemingly genuine.

"Well, I only caught a glimpse of his back—I was going to tell her, in case she saw him in class."

He nodded. "His back."

"I didn't say it was much, but it's all we have to go on."

"Well, what kind of stuff is he leaving? Can't you just dust them for prints or make an educated guess based on content?"

She sighed. "You think we're gonna fingerprint every guy at Yale to compare to those on the gifts she's gotten?"

He smiled. "I wouldn't put it past the two of you."

"The stuff he leaves is random. She seems to get a kick out of all of it. She's particularly happy about the tickets he left, to see Chaos this weekend."

"Nice—that show's sold out, you know."

"She knows. She tried to get tickets, and now she has them."

"So, she'll meet him there? Is that safe?" he inquired.

Rosa looked at her friend, realizing that if it really wasn't him that was showering Ella with gifts, then he was probably just saddened by her excitement over another guy… like he was trying to shield her from with the Pax situation.

"She's taking me. He said to use the two tickets any way she wished."

He nodded and smiled, clearly relieved. "Good," he looked up and arched his back. "These books aren't going to walk themselves."

She smiled softly and shook her head. "Sorry for holding you up. Thanks," she held up the remainder of her coffee up and watched as he took the library steps two at a time, deposited his cup into the recycle bin, and entered, leaving her view. Two down, one to go.

XXXX

"Lorelai," Kirk stood over her at the table she occupied. She'd long since stopped eating, using her left-over fries more as brushes to move the ketchup around her plate in artful strokes.

She looked up at the half-empty diner and then up at him. "You want this specific seat? Because I know the whole eat and get out thing applies when the diner is full, but," she huffed.

"No, no, I don't want to rush you, I just," he stammered as Luke came out from the back room and bee-lined for the table.

"What's going on here?" he demanded.

"Nothing!" Kirk squeaked.

"Luke, calm down, I think if Kirk and I were going to have an affair, it would have been before I saw him naked and suspended upside down from the tree after the Reenactment ten years ago," she joked.

"Hey! It's unfair to judge a man when he's exposed to the elements—especially in such frigid weather," he yelped.

"Sorry, Kirk, you're right," she soothed him.

"Kirk, out," Luke barked.

"Hey, I can see where Kirk's cold, naked body might not be appetizing, but I'm the one that brought it up," Lorelai tried to calm Luke. "You really want my table? I can move to the counter, take him with me," she lowered her voice at the last bit.

"I'm exerting my right not to serve," Luke announced.

"To Kirk?" Lorelai asked, clearly amused.

"Yes, to Kirk," Luke said, and Kirk said not a word to argue against it.

"Kirk, who has eaten here every day of his natural life, two out of three meals a day on average for the past thirty years, and you're going to deny him service tonight?" she clarified.

"That's right," he nodded, crossing his arms over his chest.

Lorelai shook her head. "What did he do? Was he wearing the hot dog costume again?" she inquired.

"No," Luke bit his lip.

"Then what happened? You let him in at breakfast, even after he brought in his own knife and fork because he said that he was afraid that you hadn't been washing yours properly and he didn't want to have to sue you for contamination," she prodded.

"It's that," he lied.

"Luke, come on," she urged. When he remained silent, she looked to Kirk, who was pale and nearly trembling. "You want to tell me?"

He shook his head violently.

"Well, no one, and I mean no one is leaving this diner until someone spouts what is going on here. Patty?" she called to the corner, where the biggest gossip in the tri-state area forty years running was finishing her dinner.

"Honey, I wish I knew. It's been the same old same old for weeks now," she shrugged. "Oh, but we did find out that Lou Kotzweil isn't having an affair—but he is dressing in his wife's outfits and going into the city, parading around under the name Lois Lane."

"Really?" Lorelai asked, aghast at the woman's declaration. "How is Cindy taking that?"

"How do you think?" she asked knowingly. "Babette says she cut the crotch out of all his trousers. Not that he cares, but," she continued.

"Enough!" Luke yelled.

"You ready to talk?" Lorelai inquired.

"Just, upstairs."

"Honey, it's not like we can't hear you yelling down here," Patty assured him.

"We won't be yelling," he seethed.

"Then why not just stay down here, sweetheart?" Patty inquired innocuously.

"Will you just," he looked at Lorelai pleadingly.

"Okay, okay. As long as Kirk gets a sandwich. He has blood sugar issues," she said as Kirk nodded.

"Fine. Order with Caesar," he said as he departed with Lorelai up to the guise of being 'alone.'

"What was that all about?" she asked once they reached the enclosed space and shut the door.

"It's just, Kirk, he's always around, bugging people for no good reason," he began lamely.

"Honey—it's Kirk. I'm used to it."

"You shouldn't have to be," he pointed out.

"The charms of living in a small, picturesque town such as this one means putting up with the actual annoying quirks that come with it. Kirk is ours."

"He's always in people's business, screwing things up," he began to let his anger build in front of her.

"Screwing what things up?" she asked, clearly dumbfounded.

"Everything! Easter Egg Hunts, Reenactments, Meetings, Dunk Tanks at the High School Fundraiser, Dance Marathons, Charity Basketball Games," he began to tick off from his mental list.

"All things you hate," she pointed out.

"I hate participating, I don't hate the fact that they actually do good and others enjoy them, like you," he retorted. "He ruins nearly everything you love about this town. He shouldn't be ruining your life!"

Lorelai stepped forward to put her arms around Luke, wishing only to calm him down. "Hey, hey, calm down! Kirk is hardly ruining my life!" she soothed.

"He is! He never filed the paperwork after our wedding, so we're not actually married!" he yelled.

Lorelai lost her grip on his shoulders and her face visibly paled. "WHAT?"

"He… I … we're," he tried many different starts, but nothing summed it up better than his prior outburst.

"How long have you known?" she whispered, as if speaking at a normal volume would solidify the idea in her head.

"A few days," he consented, reaching out for her. She took a step backward.

"You've known for DAYS?" she yelled the last word. "All that about renewing our vows—that news program?" she demanded.

He nodded solemnly. "I didn't know to tell you," he said honestly.

"Breaking my favorite lamp or washing my red Chicken Ranch shirt with my whites so that all my underwear is pink, these examples which constitute the things that are understandable for you to keep it from me while you figure out what to say, Luke," she began.

"What if you needed light, or underpants?" he attempted a joke, but she didn't crack a smile.

"This is a major piece of news that affects my life! We both needed to have all the facts, so we could work it out together!"

"It wouldn't have changed anything," he assured her. "I've been reeling from the shock of it for a few days now, and trust me, I've thought of this from every angle, including all the best ways to kill Kirk," he added.

"We should have been reeling about this together," she said quietly.

"Lorelai," he closed his eyes. "I'm sorry. I just, I wanted to spare you the details, if you didn't have to know," he said, realizing now for the first time how utterly insane the whole line of thinking had been.

"Of course I had to know! We haven't been married for the last twenty-three years, Luke! In fact, I've never been married! I can hear my mother's voice, in my head, over and over, with a big, huge, 'I told you so,'" she closed her eyes in pain.

"You're my wi—," he cut off. "I love you, and I was just trying to protect you."

Her eyes looked into his, as if she was unsure what she'd find there. "I've experienced pain and disappointment before. I could have handled it, and I assure you I would have handled it better if you'd told me right away."

"Nothing's really different," he assured her. "No one else has to know."

She laughed sardonically, taking one more step back. "You're wrong. It changes that I thought you would be honest with me, and it turns out, you weren't."

"Lorelai!"

She squeezed her eyes shut. "Rory asked me to come down and visit, get her adjusted. I told her it was a bad time, but I think… I think I'm gonna go for a while."

"No," he shook his head. "Stay, we'll get this taken care of tomorrow, then you can go."

"What's a few days going to hurt?" she asked before leaving him alone in the office above the diner.

XXXX

Will entered the diner, to find a hushed crowd with a few brave souls standing nearest the stairs that led to his father's office. Neither his mother nor his father seemed to be in the vicinity. He gripped Anna's hand, and they sidled up next to Ms. Patty, who smiled affectionately at Will.

"What's the scoop?" Anna asked.

Patty looked sadly at Will. "Well, we're not sure the exact details," she gulped.

Yelling was heard, Lorelai's distinct, 'WHAT?' from upstairs. Will winced.

"She is NOT happy," he grimaced.

"Weren't you on some sort of retreat?" Patty asked, conversationally, which earned her a group 'shhhhh!'

An eerie silence followed, and Will ventured a response. "We just wanted to give Mom and Dad some news," he offered.

A loud slam interrupted him.

"I think your father has taken care of that," Patty said as everyone scrambled to look disinterested in the upstairs goings on.

Lorelai looked around the group, her rage evident. She landed on Kirk, and he let out an indescribable yelp and took for the streets. Lorelai looked like she was going to run after him, but Will put his hand out and touched her shoulder.

"Mom?"

"Will," she smiled sadly. "Anna," she nodded.

"Mom, what's wrong?"

Her eyes were gleaming, presumably with tears. "I… I'm gonna go visit your sister. So, if there's anything you need done for the wedding, have Sookie take care of it until I get back, okay?"

He nodded. "Don't worry about that."

"Lorelai?" Anna asked.

"Yes, Sweetie?"

"Can we do something?"

Lorelai shook her head, and she didn't turn as the clear sounds of Luke's footsteps were heard on the stairs. "Tell your mom I'll call her, okay? I'll be at Rory's if you need me," she kissed her son on the cheek and made for the exit, the bell jingling to sound her exit as Luke's feet hit the ground.

"Dad?"

"Oh, hey, Will," he said, looking drawn. "How was your trip?"

Will exchanged glances with Anna. "Fine. What's going on?"

"Nothing," he said unconvincingly. "You need something?"

Will shook his head. "Nothing that can't wait. You sure you're okay? Mom looked--," he began.

"You saw your mother?"

Will nodded. "She said she was going to Rory's," he offered. "Is Rory okay?"

"Rory's fine," Luke pulled a hand over his face. "Actually, would you mind closing up for me? Just, wait 'til everyone's finished here, you don't have to stay open 'til normal hours," he instructed.

"Sure," he took the keys from his dad, who walked out and got in his truck. "This can't be good," he managed.

"It's your parents," she reminded. "It can't be that bad," she assured him and moved behind the counter, unscrewing ketchup bottles to refill them.

"Yeah," he said, standing and looking out the window after where everyone had disappeared.

XXXX

Rosa dropped onto her brother's bed, happy to have saved him for last—the one person it was easy enough to pull away from a crowd, not to mention displace out of his bed for the sake of her own comfort.

"You want some peeled grapes, highness?" he teased as she lazed on his bed.

"Don't start—I'm exhausted."

"Long day at the spa?" he frowned.

"Do my nails look like I've been at the spa?" she held up one hand wearily.

He rolled his eyes. "I thought Jasper was the one that you let do your nails," he smirked.

"He is—I'm not here for a fresh coat."

"Pray tell, what are you here for? I hear you've been stalking me," he moved to change out the CDs in his player.

"I'm not stalking, I'm your sister."

He grimaced. "If you were any other female," he sighed.

"I take it Pax told you I came by," she brought his attention back around.

"He did," he nodded, hitting play.

"And you didn't call me back because…." She trailed off, leaving him to fill in the blank.

"You came and saw Pax," he frowned.

"When I wanted to see you, hence the message, Buttmunch."

"Yeah, but you saw him," he said again.

"You're not interchangeable," she glowered at his flippant attitude.

"Thank God there are laws to govern that," he shuddered.

"What's that supposed to mean?" she sat up, enraged.

"It means while I appreciate that other men find you attractive, I never want to be that level of _Twilight Zone_," he said with distaste. "I mean, this isn't _Cruel Intentions_."

"Oh… You… GAH!" she threw a pillow at his head. "What is wrong with you? Pax and I never," she began.

"Not yet," he corrected.

"Ohmigod! Why do you and Jasper always do that?"

"What?" he asked.

"Pax is the only one of you guys that isn't finding ways to insinuate that there is some underlying sexual tension between us!"

"Well, he's not gonna come out and say he wants to jump your bones," he rolled his eyes.

"I wonder if there is any way I can convince Dad's lawyer to write you out of the will?" she wondered aloud.

"If Mom hasn't succeeded yet, you have no hope," he smiled happily. "Now, was this the actual subject you wanted to discuss, or," he questioned.

"No," she shot daggers with her eyes aimed at his head. "I was just wanting to get your opinion on secret admirers."

"It's really not a secret—all of us know."

"Will you stop?" she cried.

"Fine. I will pretend that you and Pax don't want too get sweaty and do things that would make me want to hurl. Continue quickly, I'm pretty sure I can only live in denial for a short time."

She chose to ignore everything he just said and continued. "What kind of guy would take the secret admirer route?"

"You mean, not in a cartoon show scenario?" he laughed.

"Yes," she glared.

"Wait—you have a secret admirer?" he could barely get the words out as he doubled over with laughter.

"Why is that funny?"

"Well, don't take this the wrong way, but you don't attract the saps."

"It's not sappy," she argued. "And it's not me, it's Ella."

"Huh," he sobered up a little. "Explain not sappy."

"It's not roses and candy—it's concert tickets to sold-out shows and quirky items. Things that make her smile."

"So, this guy seems to know her," he clarified.

"Right," she agreed. "So if he knows her so well, why wouldn't he just come out and identify himself?"

Grey shrugged. "You're asking the wrong guy—I'm not the wooing type."

"But if you were," she pulled.

"If I were," he said slowly, "I guess it would be because I would want to prove something to her, before she had to make the choice about wanting to give me a shot or not," he said soberly.

"For what reason?" she probed deeper.

"I don't know," he shook his head as he searched for an example. "Maybe the guy, whoever it is, is her friend, and he's afraid that if he were to approach her about dating, she'd dismiss it offhand, thinking she couldn't get past the friend label and see that the guy would be willing to really give her what she wants."

"Wow," Rosa breathed.

"I could see Pax doing that, for you," he grinned evilly.

"More like Pax doing that for Ella," she reiterated.

"Nah," he shook his head. "They've tried that, crashed and burned. Pax isn't into making the same mistake twice. Besides, doesn't he have a new distraction?"

"Either way—he's not into me, dorkus," she glared.

"It's called denial," he said slowly. "You call it reality, but it's actually denial."

"So, what, you're a psych major now?" she teased.

"Agrarian Studies," he supplied.

"Come again?" she pleaded.

"An experimental, interdisciplinary effort to reshape how a new generation of scholars understands rural life and society," he supplied, as if reading it out of the course catalog.

"Mom's gonna hear two words—fake and cult."

"It's my chosen path," he said.

"You are totally making this up," she deadpanned.

"I'm not," he picked up his phone. "Call my advisor."

"Since when do you even know who your advisor is? Much less have even thought about what you want to major in," she added.

He shrugged. "I was talking to Ella, and she got me to thinking. I don't really want to go down the path that everyone is expecting me to, in fact, I like the idea of going down a path no one has ever really gone down before."

"So you picked an experimental major?" she offered.

He smiled. "It seemed to suit me."

"Wait, Ella?"

He looked up. "Yeah, so?"

"I didn't realize you two, you know, talked."

"You've seen us do it," he teased.

"I mean, outside the group."

He shrugged. "We're friends. She's pretty cool when the vultures are cleared away."

Rosa stared at her brother knowingly. "How cool?"

He looked at her and laughed. "You think it's me?"

"You said it yourself," she began. "Very eloquently, like you've given it a lot of thought."

"B.S. is my natural, God-given talent. Hence my new major," he allotted.

Rosa sighed. "You wouldn't lie?"

"When have I ever been the wooing type?" he said seriously.

"If it's not you, who is it?" she asked aloud.

"Does it matter? I mean, you said she was really into it, right?" he checked.

"Yeah," she sighed. "She is."

"So let her enjoy it. That whole thing, the love triangle, it's over, you know?"

Rosa stood up, walked over to her brother, and ruffled his hair. "Sometimes you have insight."

"I try. Now shoo," he instructed. "I can no longer be sucked into your Denial Land. It's making me crazy."

She shook her head, tossing her hair back and forth as she walked to the door. She was officially no closer to landing on a potential suspect—she was only more suspicious of each of the three most likely candidates; and worried that it could be anyone in the sea of faces that attended Yale University. By the time she got home, she found Ella sitting in her pajamas on the couch, looking through her newest of bounties.

"I officially don't even care who is doing this, as long as he never stops," she laughed.

"What?" Rosa asked. "Tell me you're kidding."

"If I find out who it is, it might stop," she said, "And check this out," she held out the contents for Rosa to look over.

"Back-up disks," she looked up at her friend.

"For all the papers I have due soon," she smiled.

"Atomic Zinger tea," she raised an eyebrow.

"Guaranteed to get me through any all-nighter," she giggled.

"And Tootsie Pops?"

"To answer the eternal question that plagues us all… How many licks does it take to get to the center of a Tootsie Pop?" she laughed, and showed Rosa the paper from which the rational behind each item that had been included.

"This guy is something else," she agreed, taking a Tootsie Pop.

"You have any ideas?" she asked.

"I can honestly say that I have no idea at all," she rolled her head back against the couch and toward her friend. "No freaking idea at all."

Ella smiled and clinked her own Tootsie Pop against Rosa's. "Oh, and you have mail," she said, showing that she'd emptied the contents of their suite's mailbox onto the coffee table. "Some from New York," she raised her eyebrows.

"New York?" Rosa perked up, the drain of the day leaving her as she grabbed hold of the letter that had a now familiar scrawl linking the line between them. "Huh."

"Looks like we both have distractions," Ella commented.

"Distractions are good," she said, popping her sucker into her mouth and moving to her own room to read over the pages that Ambrose had seen fit to send her way.

XXXX

Rory moved to open her door, more than curious as to who would be ringing her doorbell, especially at the late hour. Jake and Tristan had long since retired to bed, and even she was about to give up the ghost and join her husband after a long evening of looking for the perfect shade of plum to accentuate the guest bathroom.

When she opened the door to find her mother, she took in the wreckage that constituted her normally pulled-together role model.

"Mom?"

"So, I decided to come for a while after all."

"Okay," Rory nodded, pulling her mother in by the shoulders and directly into a hug. "What happened?"

"Nothing," she shrugged.

"It's not nothing. Something is very, very wrong," she protested.

"Everything is wrong," her bottom lip quivered. "Oh, kid, everything is so wrong," she cried, letting Rory hug her tightly right there on the inside of the unfamiliar front door, happy to find herself at home just by the sheer proximity of her daughter's presence.


	54. Chapter 54

"Is she okay?" Tristan whispered, pulling his wife into close conference.

"I don't know; I don't think so," she bit her lip as she turned back to look at her mother, who was set up on the couch with the pizza that had just arrived and a pitcher full of margaritas on the coffee table in front of her.

"What's going on?" he inquired.

"She won't say—all she said was that nothing was right."

"Something maybe happened with Will? The engagement's been called off?" he guessed.

Rory shook her head. "Mom's fairly good at handling kid stress. The only thing that makes her flee is…," she trailed off.

"Men," he said knowingly. She looked up at him in curiosity. "You have to realize that you take after her in that respect, right?"

Rory shrugged. "Sometimes I just need to clear my head. Hopefully that's all Mom needs too," she added.

"Is there anything I can do? Store run? Grocery, video, maybe go out and get a dart board so she won't just be throwing darts at our nice, freshly painted walls?"

Rory smiled and shook her head. "Just go sit with her while I go upstairs and make a quick phone call?"

He nodded. "Sure. Anything you want."

Rory leaned up and kissed her husband. With her eyes closed and her forehead pressed to his, she whispered, "I'm sorry I ran."

"Yeah, but you ran where I could find you."

She smiled. "So I'm predictable now?"

"Oh, I'd never call you predictable," he shook his head and kissed her nose. "Now go call your brother."

Rory's mouth dropped open. "How'd you…?"

He kissed her again. "Go, before I realize that I'm basically just dangling meat in front of the lion by walking in there."

"I think you can quell up enough charm to make her purr, if you really want to," she teased as she headed up the stairs.

He took a deep breath, interlaced his fingers, and stretched his arms out in front of him. Putting on his most compassionate smile, he moved into the living room that housed their furniture, the same furniture they'd always had but now looked somehow foreign. As much of a brave face as he put on, this move had been just as much of an adjustment for him as it was proving to be for Rory; if not more so. He sat down on the couch next to Lorelai and put his arm over the back of her seat.

"What?" she asked, a mistrustful look covering her face.

"Need anything else? They didn't have the normal brand of whipped cream that you and Rory like so much, but I made sure to get the heavy, full-fat version."

"I'm sure it's fine," she nodded curtly, turning her head back toward the television screen.

"I can go set up the guest bedroom—sleeping out here will just mean me and Jake waking you up in the morning as we leave the house."

She turned to look at him, but said nothing.

"Do you want to talk about it?" he offered finally.

"Look, Tristan, it's sweet that you're concerned, but we've never let concern get in the way of our exchange of generally derisive, if not deserving, witty repartee."

"Lorelai," he sighed, rubbing the back of his neck with one hand. "Rory just wanted to make sure that…."

"I'm sure Rory will come down after she pumps her brother, which is useless by the way, to pump me for details. And when I feel like talking about it, I will. But we don't need to get all touchy feely now, just because we're sharing another confidence. Which will remain between us as long as you don't try to hug me or anything creepy like that."

He smiled. "Anything creepy about my getting you some more ice cream?"

"As long as you complain while you're doing it, I think we're good."

"I can do that," he nodded seriously as he took his leave of her to fetch her comfort food, trying his best to resent it.

XXXX

"How can you not know anything?" Rory asked.

"It's easy when no one tells you a damn thing," Will sighed, already tired of his sister asking the same question over and over, in increasing amounts of disbelief.

"You saw both of them. Conversed with each one, and yet, nothing," she clarified.

"I got there, they were upstairs, Mom was yelling; after she came down, she looked shell shocked and told me she was going to see you. Dad came down, asked me to close up, and then he left."

"Well, was anyone else there when you got there? Surely someone heard what they were yelling about."

"Half the town was in the diner—word is that only Kirk knows, and no one can find him. Anna, Dave, and I looked everywhere," he assured her.

"This is weird."

"Mom's there, right?"

"She's downstairs, but she isn't much up to talking. We're still in the pizza and ice cream phase. Talking might take hours."

"Let me know if I can do anything at this end," he offered.

"Just, find Luke. Whatever this is, them being apart isn't doing anyone any good."

"Says the woman that hid at Yale last time she got mad at her husband."

"Just wait 'til you're actually married to start dispensing the tone of superiority, can you?"

There was an elongated pause over the line.

"Will?"

"I'm here—I should go, though. I just thought of one more place we should look for Dad."

"Yeah, I should get down there before there's nothing left of Tristan," she said before she hung up and jogged down the stairs, at the ready to take the reins of the pity party.

XXXX

Gwen came back toward the bedroom, sucking on the Popsicle that had propelled her to get out of bed in the first place. She stopped next to Jess, who was standing in the doorway to his son's room.

"Why can't you just follow my instruction, taking my wishes into consideration without question, just this once?"

"You want me to lie to Grandma," he shook his head.

"Not lie. Omit. It's a fine line, but one I'm very comfortable with treading."

"You're not unhappy about it, are you?"

"No," Jess slid his arm around Gwen's waist. "We're not."

"And you don't honestly think you can hide this? I mean, it's not like Grandma's not going to find out eventually."

"Eventually is fine. This weekend, not so much."

"But why?"

"Were you born without the ability to trust blindly, or has the world stripped you of it?"

"You stripped me of it," Ambrose reminded.

"Damn. He's right," he looked to Gwen. "Smack me if I start to do that with this one. It's much harder to brainwash them when you raise them to question authority."

"Jess, is it really so bad that she knows?" she asked.

"Okay, look. I think, especially after everything that has happened recently, that I have earned the right to decide whether or not my own mother starts invading my life now or a few months from now," he stated with gleaming eyes.

"I just think," Ambrose began.

"Am, one day you're going to have something happen in your life, and it will be your decision whether or not you want to share that with me, or your mother," he said in a lilted tone that more than implied that they shared a bit of a connection on the wanting to let a parent stay in the dark. "And it will be you to have the say, if you want your kid to keep his mouth shut for a few hours to spare you months of irritation."

Ambrose nodded silently.

"So, we're agreed?"

"We're agreed."

"Great. We're going to bed," he sighed.

"Wait—can I ask you something?" he asked, looking to Gwen quickly then back to Jess.

"I'll be right in," Jess kissed Gwen on the cheek. She smiled at Ambrose and headed back down the hall toward the comfort of bed. "What's up?"

"What do you think about my applying for early admission?"

"Early admission? For college?"

Ambrose nodded. "Actually, I was hoping to test out of the rest of high school; start college a bit early."

Jess frowned. "You really miss having Jake around that much?"

"This isn't about Jake. I've just—I've never been one for school, you know?"

Jess nodded. "I know, but getting out early, it's not--," he sighed.

"It's not like I'd be doing nothing—I'd be in college."

"Why would you want to get out of high school because you're tired of school, just to go college?"

"College is different, it's way less constrictive, and I'd get to choose what I'd study."

Jess ran a hand through his hair. "Hear me out, okay?"

Ambrose nodded.

"You may be the smartest kid I know, but you haven't always proven that in a structured setting. Between your test scores and the occasional prank you pull," he began diplomatically.

"I got a 1530 on the SATs," he blurted out.

"1050," Jess shot back.

"Was the lie I told you," he looked down, actually looking ashamed.

"Why?"

"I just… didn't want you to expect things of me… things I wasn't sure I was going to be able to live up to," he finally met his father's eyes.

"I've never put any pressure on you to be on any certain track," Jess protested, feeling as if someone had sucker punched him.

"I know, but come on. There are expectations that come with each score."

Jess nodded. "I know, but the expectation isn't necessarily that someone with 1530 has to finish high school early and hit college. You can take your time and think about--."

"I've thought about it. I hate high school. It was tolerable with Jake around, but lately, I've been thinking about this a lot. And if you don't want me going off right away, I can stay local, go to NYU or something, transfer when I'm 18," he offered.

"This is a discussion," Jess held up his hands.

"A discussion, as in you'll actually consider this? Because I'd need your permission, and," he sat up straight, ready to lay out the entire process.

"As in, I will think about it, we will all get through the next weekend and then when things calm down again, you and I will talk about this. A lot."

Ambrose nodded. "Fair enough."

"Good. Goodnight," he moved to hug him, putting his arm around his chest, and pulling him back toward him. "I'm, uh, I'm proud of you."

He glanced up, looking uncertain, as if he hadn't really deserved the score. "Thanks."

Jess bowed his head and left the room. He got into his own bedroom where Gwen had settled down with a book. "You okay?"

Jess sidled up next to her. "I'm great."

Gwen smiled. "Great, huh?"

"I have you, I have the kids, I have… more than I thought I would ever have."

Gwen leaned in and kissed him. "And I always thought getting knocked up accidentally was considered a crisis."

He studied her for a moment. "Being a parent, it's this scary, huge, terrifying thing," he admitted. "But when you least expect it, often after they've just done something to turn your hair white, or make you want to disown them, they'll do something so… awe-inspiring, and you know what? You realize that you did that. You created and raised this person, and they just did this incredible thing," he shook his head.

"It's hard to be terrified when you put it like that," she rested her head against his shoulder.

"Good," he kissed her hair, holding her in amiable silence.

XXXX

"Another margarita?" Rory held up the nearly empty pitcher.

"Does the Pope ride in that bubbly thing, with the wheels and the … bubble," she tried again.

"And I think you're done with the happy juice," Rory poured the last remains into her own glass, which was in no danger of being overfilled as her mother had nearly literally sucked down most of the liquor herself.

"You know what's great?" Lorelai asked suddenly.

Rory had to give a chuckle. "What's great?"

"I have everything I need right here," she sloshed the last bit of pale green liquid around in her glass. "Everything here is predictable, and nothing here would ever lie—tequila doesn't lie," she pointed out.

"Tequila doesn't talk," Rory winced.

"Oh, the tequila talks, my friend. It tells it like it is. Hey, Jose," she held the glass up to her ear like a phone. "What's that? Men suck? Why yes, I had gotten that memo," she took another swig, draining the glass. "Aw. Jose can't talk anymore," she informed her daughter.

"Mom, maybe you should talk to me, not Jose," Rory said gently.

"Jose's gone—just like a man," she sniffed.

"Are you saying—Luke left you?" she asked in horror.

"You can't leave if you were never there to begin with," she picked up the last piece of pizza and began fiddling with the toppings, prying off pieces of pepperoni and olives, letting them fall to the plate beneath.

"Mom, you aren't making any sense. Tell me what happened," she pleaded.

"What happened is he lied! He knew, but did he bother to tell me? No, and no matter how long you think about it, how many 'angles' you look at it from, it just means that he lied."

"Luke lied to you? About what? Come on, Mom, what did he know?"

"I can't," she shook her head. "I need more margaritas," she held up her glass.

Rory moved to sit next to her mom. She took the glass from her, set it on the coffee table, and put her arms around her. "Tell me," she urged softly.

"We're not married. We never were," she said with a brief moment of glassy-eyed clarity before bursting into tears and holding tightly back to her daughter.

"You're … what? How is that possible? I was there," she gaped.

"It was a sham, a front job, meaningless," she barely got it out.

"Oh, Mom," she held her against her, not quite understanding how it was possible, but her own heart breaking at the pain in her mother's voice.

XXXX

"Dad?" Will called out into the night air. "I thought I'd find you here," he took a few more steps before bending down far enough to gently allow his backside to collide with the wooden surface.

"You lock up?"

"Hours ago—are you drunk?" he asked, hearing the slight slur and the clincher—seeing the brown wrapper-covered bottle that sat on the other side of his hips.

"I'm not drunk," he scoffed. "Do I look like a stupid man?" he asked rather randomly.

"No," Will hedged. "Dad, what's going on?"

"Before you were born, before … did your mom ever tell you how we ended up together?"

"Is this about Sniffy's and the stupid horoscope?" Will groaned.

"No; before that. Your mother was dating this high-powered freak—with some stupid dog that could do some damn thing that didn't make any sense at all," he began, still slurring the occasional word.

"Like rolling over?"

"No, he shifted his weight, or raised an eyebrow, or some damn thing," Luke shook his head. "The guy was always on the phone and drove his stupid sports car through town, tailgating people," he continued.

"Okay," Will bit his lip, not getting the stroll down his mother's memory lane, especially from his father.

"He broke up with her about the time I was getting divorced," he took another drink from the depths of the brown paper.

"Divorced?" Will exclaimed.

Luke handed the bottle to his son for a swig. "Divorced. I was married to a lawyer—we met through Taylor Doose."

Will took a drink. "Which of those red flags did you fail to see—and why didn't Mom stop you?"

"She tried," Luke smiled sadly. "But she was always busy, with Rory, with Pounder or Grinder, or whatever his stupid nickname was," he shook his head. "Or Rory's dad was sniffing around," he took the drink back. "Our timing was always… bad."

"Sounds like it," he nodded.

"Sookie and Jackson took pity on us; invited us for a night out—supposedly to prevent us from adopting cats or becoming that lone person on the block, whose house the kids run past for fear they'll get eaten, you know," he smirked.

"Every neighborhood has one," Will agreed.

"Anyhow, Davey got sick or put his toy up his nose, I don't know, but they bailed, and by the time Lorelai got there with the news that they weren't coming, I was on my fourth beer."

"Yikes," Will cringed. "What happened then?"

"Well," he widened his eyes. "She was polite, drank one martini while I downed another gallon of alcohol and poured out all my sorrows to her, then she drove me home. We kissed for the first time that night," he smiled nostalgically, looking out over the water.

"Dad, why are we sitting out here, talking about this?"

"Someone once told me this area was cathartic," he sighed.

"Why didn't you just go after Mom?"

"She took care of me—no one had done that in a long time," he swallowed. "I thought—that's what I was missing, you know? But you can't get married, looking for someone to take care of you. You have to take care of yourself," he frowned.

"That's not true, and you know it," Will put his hand on his shoulder. "You two have always taken care of each other."

"You can't protect anyone—helping is hurting, and holding back is lying," he winced as he shook his head. "There isn't enough," he turned the bottle upside down, showing there was nothing left at all.

"Come on," Will struggled to pull his father up, solely under his own volition.

"Where are we going?"

"To my apartment, you shouldn't be alone like this," he slung Luke's arm around his shoulder and began the slow walk toward his car.

XXXX

Rosa had barely slept, trying to sort out information she'd gathered the prior day. She knew each of the three top suspects like the back of her hand. She knew diversion tactics and she knew the look of honesty in their eyes. The trouble was each boy had honestly wanted to know if Ella was happy and each boy had seemed like they were hiding something.

What she needed was something fool-proof. Something that would make her mother proud. Then, in the middle of the night, she had her greatest epiphany. She would use one of her mother's tactics too suss the information out of the true culprit. Questions that only the true secret admirer would know. And she would start with Jasper, which is whose room she stood outside of after dinner the next night.

"That's perfect," he said into the phone, digging into his top dresser drawer with his free hand.

She leaned closer to the open window, hoping this was as easy as it seemed initially.

"It's definitely not been done before, and that's key. … How would she guess that? Is she suddenly psychic? … that's not psychic, that's scary," he laughed into the phone.

Rosa took a risk of being heard, climbing up closer to the opening to see what he was messing with. She was fairly sure of her foot placement, that she was stable enough to outlast the phone conversation.

"She's not going to find out until she's meant to," he said with authority. "In any relationship the aura of mystery and the element of surprise are invigorating and, I believe, the glue that holds everything together. It's something you should never lose. … I am so qualified to make that assessment," he began with an argumentative tone until a rustle of someone falling into the bushes and a feminine yelp was heard from outside his window. "Hey, I gotta go," he announced as he moved to the open window, pushing it open all the way and immediately looking down.

"Rosa?"

"Ow," she complained, holding her head. "That looks so much easier on television," she griped.

"What the bloody hell are you doing out there?"

"Just some research," she rubbed her backside as he leaned out to help pull her properly through his window.

"Research? Come now, surely a pretty young girl like yourself can see a man naked without peeping," he joked.

"I wasn't peeping!" she glared. "So, what exactly is she going to love?" she asked casually.

"You weren't peeping—you were eavesdropping!" he accused.

"I wasn't! I just happened to overhear you as I was… collecting my research."

"Rosa, what exactly is it you want?"

"Well, since I'm here, there were a few things I meant to ask you," she leaned back in her chair, settling in for as long as it might take.

"You mean other than the question you already asked that I'm choosing to ignore?"

"Exactly," she smiled tightly, vowing to make him answer it later as well. "You know Ella and I, we're going to see Chaos this Saturday, and we were just wondering if anyone else we knew was going—so we could all go together."

"Split cab fare?" he raised an eyebrow.

"Exactly."

"Sadly, I'm not going. I had a test the day tickets went on sale, and I hear they sold out like that," he snapped his fingers. "But I'm going to be out of town anyhow."

"Hot date?" she shot quickly.

"Family obligation."

"That we don't have to be at?" she didn't miss a beat.

"Mom's side. Some wedding of some third cousin," he shrugged. "Apparently the extended family was busy procreating, and now a whole new batch is about to begin as well."

"You're not taking a date?"

"Whoa," he held up his hands. "Have you been talking to my Mom?"

"What? Why?"

"All this date talk—this sounds like you're on a Turtle Brownie reward mission," he narrowed his eyes. "Mom's always hoping I'll find a nice girl, not to mention trying to make sure I'm not going to embarrass her at family events with airheads," he figured out.

"Auntie Katherine didn't send me here to check on your dating habits," she rolled her eyes.

"Then what—Ohmigod! No! She can't know! It's impossible!" he yelled.

"Anything is possible," she shrugged, hoping his rage would cause details to slip.

"It hasn't even happened yet; Dad's right, she's psychic," he muttered.

"How would your Dad know that?"

"He's lived with her long enough," he assured her. "We need a diversion. I need to call Dad back," he picked up his phone.

"Wait—you're talking about your Mom?"

"Of course I'm talking about Mom. What are you talking about?" he asked unwittingly.

"Ella and the gift baskets—you said she would enjoy the mystery and the surprise of it all," she frowned.

"I was talking about Mom's birthday surprise," he chuckled.

"Your mom's birthday isn't 'til December," she pointed out.

"That's the beauty of Dad's plan. She won't start sniffing around for clues until October at the very earliest," he said.

"That's insane!"

"Dad's tired of her finding out every year, ahead of time. He'd determined to surprise her with a 'to the core of her being', 'peel her off the ceiling' kind of surprise."

"Does she even like surprises?" Rosa asked.

"It's the principle of the thing, or something," he let quoted his father. "Wait—you still think it's me that's sending Ella gifts?"

Rosa sighed and crossed her arms. "I'm just double checking the most likely of suspects."

Jasper set his cell phone down on his desk without dialing his father's number. "Well, if I find any time between helping my father plot and averting my mother's attention and, you know, studying, I'll let you know. I'm sure idle hands would bump me up a few notches on that list, but right now I don't have much time to be pursuing anyone; secretly or otherwise."

"You were, very actively might I add. What happened?"

His eyes darkened a bit. "You know what happened."

"Yeah, but Pax has moved on, nothing is stopping you from--," she was cut off.

"You think things are always as simple as they appear?"

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Nothing," he rubbed his forehead. "Just that lately being direct hasn't done anyone much good. So right now isn't a good time to assume that appearances are the telling of the whole story."

She thought of her own life, and what assumptions that outsiders might jump to on the limited information that her particular surface could provide. The thought of how deep her true feelings were buried was enough to make her duck her head and divert her eyes.

"I should let you get back to your dad," she stood up sheepishly.

"Hey," he moved to stand in front of her. "I appreciate that you want everyone to be happy," he hugged her. "We all want the same for you. Let us worry about us. I know it's hard," he teased.

"It's hard, to corral all three of you boys," she put on her best pained, weight of the world expression.

"Did you ever stop to think it was the other way around?" he whispered. "That it takes all three of us to look out for you?"

She tucked her head into his shoulder for a brief moment. "I could believe it," she said softly before taking her leave.

XXXX

Ella was filled with anticipation; even as tired as she was from her longest day of classes, she managed to find an extra spring in her step as she approached her dorm. As much as the curiosity of who was depositing these gifts at her doorstep each day nagged at her, it had become a welcome bright spot in her day. She got the feeling that the gift bearer knew her; and with every single day the desire to thank this person grew stronger.

As she rounded the corner to her room, her heart literally skipped a beat. There was, as always, another basket—and a boy sitting next to it, on the other side of her door. Slumped next to her door, actually. He didn't even look up when she stood in front of him.

"Billy?" she asked, truly incredulous.

"Was I a bad boyfriend?" he asked, causing her to skip the rifling through today's selection so she could crouch down next to him. Close enough to smell his breath and all the alcohol he'd just imbibed to drown the sorrows he was experiencing.

"What?"

"You know, while we were together—did I make you miserable?"

"I take it you and Jane had a fight?" she sighed, sitting down the rest of the way, realizing if she continued to crouch for the duration she'd lose the ability to feel her feet.

"More than a fight—she hates me. She said I was making her life too complicated and she needed time," he swallowed.

"It was a fight—she was bound to say things she didn't mean. Didn't you?"

"I might have called her a stick in the mud, too intent on studying to enjoy life," he murmured.

"Oh, Billy," she shook her head. "I don't know her all that well, but I know she takes her studies more seriously than most. It's called a sore spot."

"The fight was so stupid, but it's like I couldn't stop it," he put his head in his hands.

"First fight?" she asked knowingly.

He nodded. "I didn't know where else to go. I don't really know anyone else on campus. I came to pick her up, to take her on a romantic picnic, but she said she had class and told me I could wait in her room. I told her I wanted to be with her, to just seize the moment, and then things just got…bad."

"Where'd you get the alcohol?"

"Some frat guys—I was wandering down the street, and these guys called out for me to help them lift some kegs. They repaid me in drink," he slammed his head back, colliding with the wall.

"Hey, careful," she moved to check his head. "All couples fight, you know that."

"I just don't know what to do—I'm not wrong," he contended.

"Spoken like a true man," she poked him.

"So, you're not going to help me?"

"Just, talk to her," she shrugged.

"Be vaguer," he offered.

"You want exact, word for word run downs of what you should say? Because if you think I'm some relationship expert, then you really are drunk," she informed him.

"You're dating," he argued.

"Yes, and I'm _so_ good at it," she said self-deprecatingly.

"Hey, you are good at it," he assured.

"Yeah, well, I wasn't even officially dating these two guys—yet I fought with one constantly and managed to come between two best friends, immediately severing both possibilities."

"Did you like either of them?" he asked with an honest wondering.

"Yeah," she whispered.

He nodded. "Guess we are a pair after all."

"Billy," she began.

"Yeah?"

"You didn't…" she spoke slowly. "This isn't from you, is it?" she picked the basket up and pulled it into her lap.

"No—though I'm pretty sure he checked my pulse when he dropped it off. I kind of passed out while I was waiting for you," he admitted.

"You saw who left this?" she perked up.

"'Saw' is a strong word," he advised.

"He took your pulse, you had to see something—was he blonde, brunette?"

He shrugged. "There was a lot of beer, and I was pretty much horizontal at that point," he began again.

"Did you see his shoes? What kind of shoes was he wearing, describe them to me," she began.

"We didn't break up because I was gay, remember?" he said with a straight face, and for a beat they looked at each other in silence. Ella started giggling, which broke his laugher as well. They enjoyed a good laugh, slumped together in the mostly vacant hallway.

"So, I take it this isn't the first basket of this nature you've received?" he asked, running his fingers over the contents.

"I've gotten a few," she said, finally looking at the CD, the dictionary, and bag of peanuts.

"And you really don't know who's leaving them?"

"Not a clue. You really need to know how to patch things up with Jane?"

"I just don't want to screw it up," he leaned his head back and looked at her.

"You really like her," she smiled softly.

"I really do," he confirmed.

"Well, then just think of it this way," she put on her most serious face. "The benefits of fighting are that you get to realize how much you really like the person, and—you get to make up."

He smiled. "Maybe I was a little wrong."

"Yeah. It's totally worth being a little wrong, trust me," she smiled knowingly.

"Hey," he nudged her shoulder. "Thanks."

"Welcome," she nudged back. They sat in comfortable silence for a moment. "You sure you didn't see anything?"

"Sorry. But when you do find out who it is, maybe the four of us could have dinner or catch a movie or something?"

Ella smiled. "I'd like that."

"I should go grovel. She'll be back from class by now."

Ella nodded and moved to help him up. "Good luck."

"Thanks. For everything."

She watched him go before turning her attention back to her gift, looking at the dictionary with puzzlement as she let herself into her room.

XXXX

Jules leaned back into Court as his fingers slid up into her hair again. Her lips tingled and burned from the extended make-out session. They'd caught an earlier movie than they'd anticipated, so to kill time they'd jumped on the subway, canoodled in the back car, and forgotten to check the time.

"We should probably switch trains," he said with the next resurgence of air.

"But we're so comfy on this one," she leaned back in to drag her lips down his cheek. "And I've hardly seen you lately."

"I really don't want your father to want to chat with me about the importance of meeting curfew," he tightened his grip on her.

"My father doesn't chat," she giggled softly, slipping her fingers between his, letting his hand engulf hers.

"I was being ironic," he kissed her temple. "Besides, I think we're coming to the end of the line. Who knows where we are."

"Next time we could take your car, head to the beach—have a proper back seat to do this in," she alluded.

"Really?" he lowered his head down to hers.

"Just a suggestion."

"What are the chances your dad is too tired to realize you'd be late?"

"Much greater in about six months," she kissed him again.

"Is that… weird?"

"What do you mean?"

He shrugged, then pulled a strand of hair off her cheek and pushed it gently behind her ear. "Just, your dad having another kid. Getting remarried."

"It's not so weird. I mean, I really like Gwen. It's not like I think of her as a mother, but no one really expects me to. The hard part was before, long before Dad met Gwen. Actually, I think she's really helped him."

"Your parents used to fight a lot?"

"A lot, a lot," she nodded. "They hadn't always. They used to be sickening, actually, they were so happy sometimes."

He rested his forehead against hers as the subway slowed to make another stop. He brought his hands up over her cheeks, using his thumbs to rub slow circles into her jaw.

"How do you think that happens? How do people go from this," she kissed him gently. "To that?"

"I don't know," he said honestly.

"Do you think…," she averted her eyes, looking ashamed of her question.

"Do I think what?"

"Do you think it's possible to fall out of love? I mean, are all the people who get divorced just lying to themselves, thinking they're in love, or can it just go away as suddenly as it came? How are you really supposed to know what's real?"

"I don't know," he answered slowly, holding the weight of her question as if it were a live grenade. "All I know is I can't imagine that this feeling could go away completely," he kissed her again.

She wanted to cry and scream at the same time—a rush of longing mixed with her sadness and general uncertainty about life that she'd been carrying around with her for so long. She hadn't imagined Court would provide her with answers that could ease her mind, but he provided her with an outlet akin to an escape; but it felt much more comfortable than a vacation from her life. It felt like coming back to something familiar after a long time away. She held tight to him as the emotion between them kicked up several notches.

"You ready to get back home?" he asked as the doors opened.

"One more stop?" she bit her lip in effort of prolonging the sense of hope and foggy eternal connection that comes with young love.

"One more stop," he pulled her up half onto his lap as he bent his head back down to meet hers again, making her stomach drop out and the her worries about if these feelings could last were left behind on the tracks as the train sped toward the last stop.


	55. Chapter 55

AN: Just wanted to thank all the reviewers, especially those of you that give me your 'desires' for how the Yalies will work out their 'issues'. K: I didn't get to your req this chapter, as well as two additional scenes I wanted to add to this chapter, but they'll all be in the next chapter.

Rosa slammed the main door, tossed her book bag into her room, and set her nearly empty coffee cup down hard on the coffee table.

"What is wrong with people?" she demanded, as her brother and Ella looked up from their seats on the couch, where they were sitting facing each other with flashcards in Ella's scrawl as they seemed to be testing each other on Russian vocabulary words.

"In general, or," Grey shook his head in wonderment.

"So, I was leaving my psych class, and I have to hurry across the quad to make my drafting class on time, right?"

Two sympathetic heads nodded, encouraging her to go on.

"And this FREAK on her cell phone, who was having this conversation about her STD symptoms that would make her doctor blush, wasn't paying attention to where she was going and spilled her non-fat, extra-hot mochachino all down the front of my shirt," she opened her hoodie to reveal a very stained shirt.

"I know how to get out coffee stains, believe me," Ella assured her.

"Oh, I'm so not done," Rosa said with a bitter laugh.

Ella cringed and looked to Grey, who nodded knowingly.

"So, I get to my last class, and the professor isn't there, so our TA fills in for him. Except he doesn't have the notes for today's class, he brought the notes for the next class, which is built upon what we would have learned today," she fumed, "and we have a test next Wednesday, so I get to spend all weekend cramming in the information myself, hoping that the professor will defer a test that we don't have time to defer," she explained.

"That sucks," Ella began to comfort.

"Comes in threes," Grey said under his breath to his cohort.

"What?"

"Bad news, bad luck, death, it all happens in threes to her," he quickly explained as Rosa extracted herself from her hoodie and threw it at her door, where it hit and slid to the ground.

"They screwed your order up at the coffee cart?" she asked hopefully.

Rosa shook her head. "I got Paul."

"Oooh, Paul makes the best macchiatos," Ella broke in.

"Have you ever had his Chai tea? I think he adds extra nutmeg or something," she began to get lost in the girl talk.

"Yes, he's dreamy, now what happened?" Grey cut through the coffee talk.

Rosa shot him a glare. "Are you telling me he hasn't been here?"

"Paul, the friendly barista? No, he hasn't made a house call today," Grey teased.

"Not Paul, Pax," she clarified.

"Pax?" Ella asked.

"Pax."

"Pax is the final nail in this coffin?" Grey seemed as perplexed as Ella.

"Pax pulled me aside outside my last classroom, under the guise of showing concern for my wellbeing, then ambushed me with this party he's throwing so that we can get to know his new blow-up doll."

Ella ducked her head to hide her amusement, but Grey laughed out loud.

"Someone sounds jealous," he ribbed.

"Jealous of the no-doubt brain trust that he's wasting not only his, but now my time with? I had planned on spending tonight in study mode until I pass out. Some of us have goals."

Ella bit her lip. "But you were the one that said we should support this in the name of him and Jasper getting along again."

"I just don't see why my supporting this has to involve me spending time with this person," she pouted.

"She can't be that bad, I mean, granted in the distant past he didn't have the greatest track record, but for girls that we actually met on purpose, there has been a level of alertness if not better for the most part," Grey patted Ella. "I still don't get how you got thrown into his mix; you're way too good for the likes of him."

Ella narrowed her eyes at Grey. "I think this is good."

"What?" Rosa dumped her coffee cup into the trash. "Are you insane? It's going to be horrible! We have to be on first meeting, screening behavior, listening to her talk about herself, her major, and how hunky she thinks Pax is," she rolled her eyes.

"But we have to focus on the couple that is most important here," Ella reiterated. "Pax and Jasper."

"I always thought they made the perfect pair," Grey deadpanned, which earned him a smack on the shoulder from Ella.

"You're right. I hate that," Rosa glared.

"Well, I'm sure you'll be in too good a mood to even realize how annoying this girl is," Ella smiled at her knowingly.

"I'm not letting Grey give me a lobotomy."

He laughed, but Ella persevered. "You have a message on the machine. You might want to listen to it and then tell me if you're still in need of that lobotomy."

Rosa perked up. "A message? Really?"

Ella nodded. "Really."

She did a little twirl toward her room, at the ready to be instantly cheered. Ella turned to Grey. "She's so easy."

"That's what it said in the yearbook," he smirked before holding up the next flashcard and waiting for her to translate.

XXXX

"Not married?" Anna repeated for clarification.

"Not married," Luke responded from his seat on the couch where his son had steered and parked him earlier. A variety of food and drink had appeared in front of him, in the hopes that in his blind grief he'd eat, but all he'd done thus far was sit and stare until he made the truth known to Anna in an out of the blue blurt.

"That's … not possible. I mean, it's not like I was there, but my entire life I've heard the stories, seen the pictures—I've listened to Miss Patty's version of her eyewitness account, which rivals most fairytales."

"Yeah, well, turns out this one was Grimm."

"But, I," she shook her head in disbelief, finding no right words to make it understandable.

"That's what I said," he groaned. "How am I supposed to tell Will? God, she's probably already told Rory. Am I in charge of telling Will? Would she want me to tell Will?" he began to babble.

"I don't know," she admitted. "How did this happen?"

"We had the ceremony, the party, all of it, that's true," he tried his best to answer her as his questions quelled up. "But we let Kirk file the paperwork, and it seems it evaded him."

"It evaded him?" her eyes widened to saucers.

"He lost it, or forgot—I don't know. It was never notarized, signed, nothing. They found it when they were clearing out the old offices to move all the county records to the new building," he explained.

"But, you still got married. You've been living together as a married couple for decades, one piece of unsigned paper doesn't mean anything," she frowned.

"It means I'm not married to my wife," he said hollowly. "And now I'm not sure she still wants to be my wife."

"Calm down," she soothed. "Are you sure, I mean, isn't there some way you can check to see if your marriage papers have been processed?"

"Yes, you can go to the courthouse, if for any reason you're unsure, and check the document, or if you live on blind faith, Kirk comes up to you twenty years later to tell you that you've been living a lie!" he managed not to yell, still not wanting Will to overhear from the kitchen.

Anna rubbed her temples. "It hasn't been for nothing. I realize this is besides the actual point of having it official, but Luke, all this time you've been there for your family, every single day. You raised Will, you were right by Lorelai's side. You didn't love her any less, or play any smaller a role in your son's life. You're still the guy that took us on all those camping trips when we were little, so Mom and Lorelai could have mommy weekends, remember? You'd take us just out past Woodbridge, and tell us we were deep in the woods of Maine, and you'd teach us to fish and make up ghost stories and make sure the boys didn't smear S'mores all over me," she smiled as she remembered the trips.

"I was pretty sure it'd be better to prevent full-body stickiness," he grumbled.

"I appreciate that," she giggled. "But Luke, you and Lorelai have been the best role models for Will and me," she nudged his shoulder.

He turned to face her with all seriousness. "That's why your wedding is going to mean so much more now," his voice was uneven.

"What?" she stammered, fear filling her.

"Having everyone coming together, in the face of all of this; maybe it'll make her see that there's no reason not to just get it finalized and go on with our lives. She'll see how happy you are, newly married, and remember what it was like for us—how it can be again."

"But, I mean, she doesn't need that kind of happiness thrown in her face. In fact, maybe we should put off making any rash plans," she backed off.

"You are still planning on a big wedding, aren't you?"

"Well, I wouldn't say big, so much as intimate," she swallowed.

"She needs to be a part of it, and we want to help you kids celebrate. We're proud of you," he patted her shoulder.

"Thanks, um, I should, uh, just, I'll be back, okay? You okay?" she bounced up from the couch, bounding toward Will, who was making vegetable soup in the kitchen.

He looked up to his new bride and smiled sympathetically. "How is he? I thought I heard voices," he blinked.

"We have to get an annulment," she spat out, throwing her arms around his neck, burying herself in him.

"What? Anna, that's crazy," he pried her back to look in her eyes.

"No, it's not. Maybe you should sit for this," she led him to a kitchen chair.

Will paled. "Are you… pregnant?"

"What? No! Listen," she commanded as he sat down. "Your dad told me that the fight, it's because they just found out their marriage license wasn't notarized. It was never made official, so they're not really married."

Will blinked. "What?"

"They're both hurt, and the short of it is your dad thinks that seeing us get married will make your mom want to get remarried. Or married, I guess," she frowned.

Will shook his head and held his hands up in the air. "Mom doesn't want to get married now?"

Anna shrugged. "She's upset, Will. Her life was made a sham."

"I need to talk to her," he made to stand up.

Anna pushed him back down by the shoulders. "Let Rory deal with her. We have him, we have to focus on him."

"Right, you're right," he breathed and grabbed her hand to pull her closer to him. He wrapped his arms around her waist and pressed his head into her body. "How do you check to see if the papers are notarized?"

"I'm going to the courthouse when they open, trust me," she stroked his hair. "Maybe we won't have to get an annulment," she said jokingly.

"We're not getting an annulment," he frowned.

"But, Will," she threw one hand out to indicate his father.

"No, you're not Britney Spears, we didn't hop out to Vegas mindlessly, we didn't do this because there was nothing better on TV that night. We got married because we were in love and didn't want to wait, remember?"

"No, I know, but we need to get married in front of everyone, to share our love. It's not just about us," she held tight to his shoulders as he continued to cradle her in his arms.

His face lit up. "I have an idea."

"Will," she frowned.

"Will you marry me, again?" he added.

"Again?"

"Renew our vows. It'll look like a wedding, to everyone but us and Mal and Dave; we talk Mom and Dad into 'renewing' their vows, so no one else has to know it's the real thing. They do their ceremony right before ours, then we have a joint reception."

"A deception reception," she raised one eyebrow.

"All for the name of love, but yes," he acquiesced.

"Sneaky. I love it."

XXXX

Jasper came in the door to find only the couple of honor in attendance at the restaurant. Pax looked up and nodded him over.

"Hey, you're very festive," Pax commented on his semi-formal attire.

"Oh, it's for later. I can't stay long," he explained. "Mom's niece is getting married in the Poconos, and my attendance is mandatory. I just stopped in to make the rounds."

"Well, glad you could make it. Stay 'til the other get here, at least," Pax offered.

Jasper sat down across from the couple and extended his hand. "I'm Jasper."

"Hi, I'm Linzey."

"Nice to meet you, Lindsey."

"No. Linzey. With a 'Z'."

Jasper shot Pax a look, which they shared in equal horror. "Okay. Linzey," he said as if he were handling combustible material.

"Have you known Pax long?"

"Have you, love?" he shot back, playfully.

"It's Linzey," she frowned.

"I know, with a 'Z'," he teased.

She looked to Pax, who hid his smile by putting his arm around her and pulling her closer. "Hey, there's Grey and Ella—and I think they're dragging Rosa."

Jasper turned in his seat to see the reluctant threesome. He stood up to make room for them to sit down as well as to make his exit.

"How gentlemanly," Ella smiled at him. "And dapper. Got a hot date?"

"Only in certain states," he frowned reflectively.

"What?" she giggled.

"I have a wedding to get to," he shook his head. "My date is my cousin, Elizabeth. She's the bridesmaid I have to walk down the aisle."

"You aren't staying?" Rosa demanded.

"Nope," he shook his head. "But you're not here to meet me, you're here to meet Linzey," he indicated the newbie.

"Hey, Lindsey," Grey stuck his hand out amicably.

"No, Linzey. With a 'Z'," she corrected.

"How … festive," he withdrew his hand, shooting his friend a look.

"Well, it's been fun, kids," Jasper said, moving to the side of the table as the others began to sit.

"Wait," Ella stood up. "You're really going?"

"Walk me out?" he offered.

"I'll be right back," she said to the group.

"Nice to meet you, Lindsey," he chided.

"Linzey," she sighed. "With a--," she began.

"Z, I know," he smiled charmingly and let Ella lead him out of the restaurant.

"You're not going back in there," Jasper said.

"I have to," she frowned.

"You'll kill her. I wanted to kill her, and I spent sixty seconds with her. Who names their kid Linzey?"

"With a 'Z'?" she giggled. "See, you're the one that can't go. You're the comic relief. And the only one Pax will let mock her, I'm betting," she added.

"I wish I could, but my mother will have my skin if I'm late. Family weddings are a big deal," he sighed.

"We're not staying here—we're actually going back to your place to have good old fashioned fun. Surely she can't be a drag when drunk," she teased.

"How about a rain check, and I'll bring you a souvenir from the Poconos for your pain?"

"Souvenir?"

He nodded. "You like presents, right?" his voice grew deeper, and he stepped up to stand in her shadow as it cast against the building.

She barely could move her head to nod. "What girl doesn't?"

He smiled and picked up her hand. "I'll be back Sunday. Maybe we can get coffee, and you can tell me how horrible it was tonight?"

"You're going to be gone all weekend?" she managed.

"Yeah, so?"

"So, Chaos is playing, and I have these tickets, I thought we could all go."

"I thought you were taking Rosa. Besides, it's a sold out show."

"Jas, how did you know?" she demanded, her suspicions up and her heart beating in her throat.

"Rosa told me. Your secret admirer, right?"

She nodded numbly. "Right."

He smiled at her shaky voice and kissed her hand. "I'm glad we're all moving on. I'm not into sharing anyone's affections."

Her eyes filled up slightly, just enough to make her worry she'd end up crying. She wasn't sure what he was trying to tell her, but she was afraid to trust either her heart or her head at the moment. "Jasper, I, uh," she closed her untrustworthy eyes.

"I really do need to go," he said with urgency, getting her to open her eyes. "Do me one favor?"

She nodded.

"Keep an eye on Rosa. Grey will help you. See you Sunday," he said with great certainty, and squeezed her hand quickly before letting go and getting in his car.

Ella watched him until after his car had turned the corner and out of site, wishing only that he didn't have to go.

XXXX

"I'm just saying his timing is awfully convenient, that's all," Ambrose said as he looked down at his father.

"I thought she wasn't coming 'til tomorrow," Jules said. "I have a date with Court tonight."

Jess raised his eyebrows, despite his pallor. "You can go, but your butt is mine when I get well if you break curfew again."

"It was five minutes. I told you the subway broke down," she shifted her eyes.

"I buy it once, not twice," he coughed, which led to a full minute-long debacle. He rested back against his pillows. "Looks like it's up to you. Her arrival info is on the counter," he instructed Ambrose.

"Hey, we like Grandma, remember? I can get her."

"I like your grandmother," he coughed.

"She drives you crazy," Jules pointed out.

"Everyone drives him crazy," Ambrose said as if it just occurred to him.

Jess just shrugged. "Not everybody," he managed at last. "I need the Nyquil," he moaned.

Jules unscrewed the cap and handed it over. "How can you drink that stuff?"

Jess took his dose and handed it back. "It's way better to be knocked out after a few moments of displeasure than endure the entirety unaided," he put his hand to his throat, signaling talking too long was making him feel worse.

Jules smoothed back his hair. "Can we get you anything else?"

He just shook his head and motioned for them to go.

Jules and Ambrose shut his door behind them and Jules made to pick up her purse. Ambrose went to the counter and looked from the paper to her. "You aren't going on a date tonight."

"Dad just said I could," she reminded.

"Dad's sick, and Grandma wants to see us. All of us. You aren't gonna shrivel up after one night of disuse," he spat out.

"Ew!" she hit him with her purse. "That's disgusting."

"We don't even know if Gwen is staying here while Grandma is in town. Dad's been very weird about the whole thing."

"Gwen lives here, and besides, Grandma Liz is staying at a hotel. I heard Dad making her reservations yesterday, before the hacking began."

"I still think he's acting weird, like he can put off telling people about the baby."

"Well, have you told other people?" she questioned.

He shrugged. "Yeah. I mean, a couple. Jake, Rosa," he stopped. "Okay, so not many. You?"

"Just Court. I talked to Jake about on email, but he asked me how it was all going."

"You feel okay about it?" he asked after a moment of silence.

"Yeah. I mean, it's kinda weird. I like Gwen, though. And Dad seems happy, you know, except the whole not telling anyone but Jimmy and Aunt Rory."

"Uncle Luke knows," he said. "And Mom."

"Have you talked to her recently?"

Ambrose nodded. "Not much. She called the morning I had that dentist appointment and took a half day. She's not good with the time difference thing."

Jules smiled. "Yeah. She never was good at that stuff. Remember when Dad was on business in Chicago when we were little, and she kept trying to call him before we had to go to bed, but after he got back to his hotel room?"

Ambrose smiled. "Yeah. We thought he'd died and she didn't want to tell us."

Jules nodded. "So, we should both be going."

"You really aren't coming?"

"I am only going to get to see Court tonight—she's just gonna get in, have dinner, and go to her hotel room. I'll see her all weekend."

"Fine. Come on, we can share a cab for a while."

She complied, and they left their father in his state of Nyquil-induced bliss.

XXXX

Five Jell-O shots, ala Greyson, and two discussions on what the 'meaning' of the 'Z' was later, Ella had forgotten her promise to Jasper to watch Rosa. In fact, it had been Grey giving this girl the hardest time, at his great level of amusement at the spelling of her name and her great need to defend said spelling. Ella had taken to accepting the alcohol-laced treat in hopes that she could quell the nagging feelings of what had transpired with Jasper in the restaurant parking lot.

"Hello, I'm Greyson. That's with a silent 'Q' in the middle. The 'Q' is very important, though unpronounceable."

Ella looked at the boy, who'd sat on her arm at this point, and giggled. "She'll hear you."

"Nah. Can't hold her liquor. She passed out in the bathroom about two minutes ago. I give them about one more week."

"Pax might like her."

"Pax might also get brain damage. Or become president. Or a myriad of other unlikely things, so if that's your argument, continue."

"I don't have an argument."

"So, you like this girl?"

Ella rolled her eyes and tried to retrieve her arm. "No, she's obnoxious. But I've learned never to tell my male friends that I detest their taste in women."

"That's half the fun!" Grey perked up.

"Hey, where's Rosa?" she ignored him.

Grey closed his eyes tightly and was silent for a moment.

"What?" Ella whispered.

"I'm trying to locate her on Twin-Dar. Nope. Nothing. Must have her Invisi-Shield up," he teased. "I'm her brother, not her stalker. Though now that you mention it, I don't see Pax either. We're alone. You think we've alienated ourselves?" he asked in jest.

"Pax could be checking on Linzey," Ella offered.

"It's not working, you know that, right?" came a very disgruntled voice from Pax's bedroom.

"Tell me my sister isn't having a lover's spat in my best friend's bedroom," Grey groaned, his head lolling back and forth against the couch cushions.

"Only one way to find out," she held out her unsteady hand and pulled him along to listen to bits and pieces of their conversation at his door.

"You don't know what you're talking about," Pax warned.

"I know that you're the one sending her gifts, then throwing her off track and trying to make her jealous by going out with her exact opposite. I thought you'd be more adult about this whole thing, I mean, it's one thing to skulk off with your tail between your legs when you thought she might like Jasper better than you, but to resort to tricking her into liking you? It sickens me," Rosa blurted out.

"That was so many kinds of crazy I don't even know where to start to correct you," he reeled back.

"What, you're going to deny any of that?"

"No; I don't have to defend myself to you. If you think that's who I am, then I guess nothing I can do can change that," he stared at her with his arms crossed.

"Pax," she reached out to touch his arm. "I'm just trying to make you see that it would mean more if she knew who it was coming from, and that making her jealous isn't necessary!"

"I'm not trying to make anyone jealous!" he erupted. "Though if anyone is acting jealous, I'd say it's you, not her. She's fine, having a good time, being polite to Lindsey," he continued.

"It's Linzey, with a 'Z'," she snarked.

"I'm trying to prove a point, and it has nothing to do with Ella!" his anger escaladed.

"Who does it have to do with?"

"Jasper! It was you that made me see that he was more important than any girl that might come between us, remember? I listened to what you said, I'm trying to rectify it, and this is how you react?"

"I'm not reacting, I'm," she moved away from him again. He advanced at the same time, not letting her put true separation between them.

"You're what?" he demanded.

"I'm," she looked at him, all the advice that she'd given and been given running around in her head, trying to push what she wanted to say to the surface.

"That's what I thought. Just go back to your room and call your high-schooler boyfriend," he said, causing her to turn and flee quickly enough that he didn't see just how much she was tearing up.

Ella and Grey stared after her for a moment as she rushed past them in pain.

"What was that?" she asked.

"I think the lid's busted off the pressure cooker," he mumbled. "I should go to her; you want to come with?" he rested his hand on her elbow, realizing she probably wasn't stable enough to walk home on her own.

"No, I think I have some words for Mr. Huntzberger," she glared at the closed door.

"Okay," he nodded. "I better go."

She nodded and considered knocking for a moment until she remembered the look on her friend's face. Determined to knock only sense into him, she threw open the door, to find him standing in his boxer shorts.

"What is your damage?" she yelled, letting the momentum of her swing slam the door shut behind her.

"Do you mind, Heather?" he grabbed a towel off the back of his desk chair.

"I've seen you in boxers before," she rolled her eyes.

"Might I remind you my girlfriend could walk in at any moment and probably frown on this visual?"

"Your alleged girlfriend," she used air quotes for the last word, "is passed out in your bathroom. Which clearly you didn't know, as you look like you're about to go take a shower."

"Maybe I thought she and I would take a shower," he tried to cover.

"Whatever. Just tell me what Rosa ever did to you to make you treat her so bad."

"I didn't do anything to her," he defended. "She seems to dislike Lindsey, and I was just defending her honor."

"Linzey," she corrected.

"Whatever," he mumbled.

"What is your angle? I mean, she's pretty, I get that, but she's… vapid."

"Since when do I have to explain my attractions to you?"

"You don't," she pulled back, burned.

"I mean, I haven't given you crap about being obsessed with some guy that doesn't even have the balls to introduce himself to you," he let his frustration spill out at her.

"Excuse me?"

"Secret admirer is the romantic term for a stalker, Ella. Funny, I didn't peg you for a romantic."

"What is this, alienate your friends' night?" she put her hands on her hips. "Did you attack Rosa like this, too?"

"I didn't attack her. She accused me of things I didn't do."

"Such as?"

"Such as trying to make you jealous and planting those stupid gifts at your doorstep," he mimicked her stance, with the towel secured around his waist.

"She thinks it's you?" she was taken aback.

"Yeah. She thinks it's me. What about you?"

"They don't… they don't seem like they're coming from you, no," she admitted.

"But it's working, right? You're hooked?"

"I'm," she began the slow decent that Rosa had taken, her mind flashing to another man, however. "Maybe."

He nodded. "I didn't do anything to her. This wasn't about her, you know that, right?"

"It was about Jasper," she whispered.

He nodded. "She's the one that… never mind."

"Pax, wait," she stepped in front of him, not letting him off the hook. "She's the one, what?"

He looked into her eyes, and she saw something she hadn't noticed before. "I was just doing what I thought she wanted."

Ella frowned, but nodded in the beginnings of understanding. "Tell her that."

"I did. She clearly didn't want to hear it. I should go check on Lindsey."

"Linzey," she reminded softly.

"Right, Linzey," he sighed and left her alone in his room.

XXXX

Jules kissed Court one last time, seemingly oblivious to the late hour. He pulled her against him outside her front door, not giving any signals of easing away.

"I should go in. He's sick, not gone," she sighed, kissing him quickly one last time.

"But they get you all weekend. I'm going into depravation mode as soon as you go through that door."

"You're sweet," she kissed him again, forgetting the possible doom that was growing with every second they spent procrastinating.

He groaned as she moved in closer. "But… you should go now."

"Why?" she looked up at him with big eyes.

"Because the longer we stay out here, the harder it's going to be for you to get inside," he instructed. "And I can deal with your father hurting me, but I can't deal if he kills me."

"He's under the Nyquil spell, I'm telling you," she moved to kiss him, but his resolve held strong. "Spoil sport."

"Go. I'll call you."

"You better," she smiled.

"Come here," he pulled her in for one last kiss.

She giggled until she was on the other side of the door, quelling them only until she saw no sign of her father with either a shotgun or a clock waiting up for her. All she saw was her grandmother, sitting at the dining room table, messing with the makings of pieces of her jewelry line. Liz looked up at Jules and invited her over.

"Hey, kiddo! You just getting in?"

Jules looked down the dark hallway and nodded. "Is Dad up?"

"He's been out for hours. Ambrose said I didn't have to stay, but with my baby sick, I just thought I'd camp on the couch, just in case."

Jules nodded. "Made anything new?"

Liz held up a pair of earrings. "I think these would be perfect on you," she offered them up.

"Really?" Jules smiled.

"Really. Maybe to wear on a date?"

"Thanks, Grandma," she sat down next to her.

"So, tell me about the guy? I assume your father hates him," she giggled.

"Dad doesn't hate him; it's just, we have this tendency to loose track of time, making curfew kind of this sticking point between us. He's gonna kill me when he finds out I was late again tonight. It's just, I won't really get to see Court the rest of the weekend, and then next week he has this tournament upstate, and Dad probably won't let me go with the string of late nights."

"Ah, young love. I remember being your age. Everything is so new, so strong, so intense," she smiled nostalgically. "What if… your dad didn't find out about tonight? You think he might let you go?"

"Really? We can keep this just between us?"

Liz smiled. "Let's just say what he doesn't know can't hurt him, right?"

"Thanks, Grandma," she hugged her. "Can I help you with anything?"

"Sure. Hand me those pliers," she instructed.

From the bathroom in the hallway, Gwen stood immobilized in the dark. She'd just flipped the light off when she heard the door unlock. She'd traveled silently down the hall, so as not to disturb Jess with her constant trips to the bathroom, and trying to respect his wishes for her not to spill the beans about her 'condition' to his mother quite yet. Liz, from what she gathered, was by no means traditional or conservative, but for whatever reason this was his wish, and she had no reason to question him.

Now she had information that she had no idea what to do with—and who it was a betrayal of if she kept her mouth shut versus telling Jess what she'd overheard. As the girl talk in the dining room wore on, she slipped back down the hall and into bed, watching Jess as he slept the deep sleep as aided by knock-out cold medicine.


	56. Chapter 56

Ridiculously long AN: Okay. Only one person really needs this particular note, and I promise K that those three segments I'd said would be included in this chapter had to be pushed off to the next chapter in the name of my sanity. I SWEAR your favorite part will be the next chapter opener.

To everyone else, thanks so much for all the lovely reviews and guesses and opinions on how this story is going. I love it all, and I hope you enjoy this new tidbit that will start to clear some things up… Enjoy!

* * *

Getting Lorelai on the phone had been a feat in and of itself. Will had fed his sister lines, and she'd used her own adlibs of her own in efforts to get the very suspicious woman to take hold of the phone. Lorelai was sure that while her children probably had the best of intentions a hand off to Luke on Will's end was inevitable. She wasn't ready to talk to him, and therefore she had stood next to her daughter, arms crossed and head shaking, refusing to get on the line.

It was only when Rory reminded Lorelai that her allegiances, first and foremost, had always been to her mother, and that would never change despite the gravest of circumstances, that Lorelai conceded. And saying that she would hunt Will down and shave his entire body if he pulled any pranks probably had a little to do with her overall decision as well.

He was just glad that he didn't have anything but a desire to get her home up his sleeve.

"Will?"

"It's me. Just me," he said quickly. "I know you're upset, but I think I have a solution."

"Look, Will, sweetheart, I know you want to help, you've always been that way when your Dad and I have a fight, and I love you for that, but this isn't your run of the mill screaming match over a difference of opinion."

He swallowed in the brief silence that followed her continued dance around the reason behind her flight.

"Dad told Anna."

"What?"

"Mom, look," he began, but she cut him off.

"No, Honey, I'm sorry—I hadn't even—I didn't have the words to tell you," she rushed on apologetically.

"It's okay—Dad probably didn't even realize he was letting the cat out of the bag. He's in bad shape too."

"More like a mountain lion," she sniffed.

"I know you're more than upset, but if you just come home, I--," he said with his own pain and surprise seeping through.

"I can't come home."

"Mom, really, I have it all figured out."

"I don't think that's possible. Besides, your sister, she needs me."

"Rory needs you?"

"Yes. She does."

"Why?"

"Why? She's only moved to a new city, isn't working, and Tristan and Jake are off all day long. She's lonely."

"She's writing again," he pointed out, showing that he in fact talked to his sister just as much as she did.

"Yes, but we started this whole rating system for all the local take out places, and if I leave now she won't have my taste buds to use to sort out the mediocre from the ones with potential."

"You really won't come home?" he asked, full of disbelief.

"No. Not yet," she added.

When the line went dead, he hung up with a look of determination. Anna came in with an armful of empty beer bottles. "She coming home?"

"Nope," he shook his head.

"Oh, Will, I'm sorry," she tossed them into the recycle bin before coming to run a hand over his back. "So, we wait?"

He looked up into her eyes. "I'm going to get her."

"What? If she won't come up now, then what makes you think you can make her in do it in person?"

"If Muhammad won't come to the mountain, then you gotta smoke his ass out," he frowned. "Or, her ass. That sounded better in my head."

"What are you talking about?" she prodded.

"It's time to use the big guns," he kissed her forehead.

"You want me to come with?"

"No," he shook his head. "This is something I'm gonna have to do alone. You stay here; get Sookie to help you watch Dad. Make sure he eats, sleeps, drinks very little. Do not let him near his tools, that kind of thing," he instructed.

"Wait," she held tight to his shirt sleeves. "Big guns?"

He nodded. "I have to get her attention in a way even she can't ignore."

"Meaning?"

"Meaning I'll be back in a few days, with my mother in tow."

XXXX

Rosa was curled around her pillow, face down and knees pulled up to her chest, not exactly signifying she was doing any listening, but Grey was talking none the less. He knew that if there was one person she had always had to pay attention to, from the womb on, it was him. Even when they'd been quarantined for chicken pox, their mother had sealed them in the den with the fold-out couch while she boiled everything the other children had come in contact with, only to find a rash on her stomach and his back, extending their seclusion two more weeks.

It didn't matter what was going on, he'd seen her in the best and worst times. Though this night might be classified as one of the weirdest with its odd tension and seemingly random outbursts between Rosa and Pax. It wasn't unheard of for them to have an odd falling out, with little or no reason behind the heated exchange, but for him to not be able to calm her down and her to storm out in such a blind rage was more than unusual.

Unfortunately, it didn't seem quite so random the more Grey considered it. It actually seemed like a long time coming. Not that he expected her to agree.

"So, you think Pax is sending Ella those gifts, huh?" he sat on the edge of her bed, his back to hers.

"Doesn't it make the most sense?" she mumbled more into her pillow than into his realm of hearing.

"No," he half turned to see if she'd reel back from her source of consolation, but she didn't.

"He wanted Jasper to think he was over her, but he's not," she pointed out her reasoning.

"Do you want to see a psychotherapist first, or should I just commit you now?"

This got her to sit up enough to look him, through bleary eyes, in the face. "What?"

"That's the craziest thing I've ever heard you say," he restated plainly.

"So, you don't think it was him?"

"It doesn't matter," he shrugged. "At least, not to me. Does it to you?"

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, whoever is sending those things to Ella doesn't really make much of a difference, in the grand scheme of things. It's not really going to affect anyone's life, save for whoever it is shelling out some cash and her day being made a little brighter for someone thinking about her, correct?"

"What are you getting at?"

"I'm getting at you going off the rails a little hard for someone that shouldn't be affected by the situation at all, unless it was doing just that."

"You think I'm jealous? I could care less that she's getting presents."

"Yeah, but you do care who is giving them to her."

She didn't respond right away, but the slump in her shoulders said enough. "So, you don't think it's him?"

"Rosa, stop! You're totally missing the point."

"I know what you're thinking, and you're the one that's crazy. I just don't want him to go through all this, it's not going to work," she sighed.

"What do you mean, it's not going to work?"

"I mean, Ella's heart is already spoken for, even if she doesn't know it yet. And Pax is not in possession."

Grey looked at her quizzically. "She told you this?"

"She doesn't have to, it's obvious enough. Especially if you hear her when she talks in her sleep," she smirked a little.

"For shame," he teased.

"What? I just happened to be coming in late one night, and I heard her. I thought there was someone in her room, she was so loud and … insistent."

Grey's eyebrow raised. "Who is it?"

She shook her head. "You said yourself, it doesn't matter. What matters is that it isn't Pax, and he's getting his hopes up only to be crushed. And Jasper will be furious when he learns that Pax is setting up this elaborate game when he's supposedly giving her up to save their friendship."

Grey sighed, not sure how best to break it to her that she was obsessing over the wrong little detail. Luckily, the door opening and closing meant he didn't have to. He turned, thinking he'd see Ella, but instead Pax walked in, stopping just shy of entering Rosa's room.

"Hey," he said, slightly out of breath. "Can we talk?"

"I think _we_ should talk," Grey said, looking pointedly at Pax.

"I need to talk to Rosa," he insisted.

"Shouldn't you be talking to Linzey?" she glared at him.

"I took her home," he said quickly. "Rosa, come on."

"No, I think you've said quite enough earlier," she snapped at him.

"You didn't give me a chance to say anything," he pointed out, his irritation clearly growing.

"Okay, stop," Grey barked. "You," he pointed to Pax, "out in the common room with me. And you," he pointed to Rosa, "don't even try to climb out your window."

She narrowed her eyes, but returned her clutch on her pillow as he followed Pax right out of the room, and closed the door behind him. He closed his eyes and let out a breath before looking at one of his best friends.

"We need to get a few things straight."

XXXX

"I need you?" Rory cleaned off the last remains of ice cream from her spoon.

"You once said you'd always need me," Lorelai smiled nostalgically.

"Was I five?"

"Four," she sighed. "Before school got its hooks into you. Stupid mandatory educational system."

"Is it possible that you're avoiding the issue by trying to divert my attention to my own problems?"

"I thought your husband had the psych degree," she stuck her tongue out.

"He's rubbed off on me," she smirked.

"Dirty," she chastised.

"We're the dirty Stars Hollow girls, remember? Now why don't you want to go back there, really?"

"Rory, come on."

"Just tell me what Will said."

"Will… knows. Luke told Anna, and of course she told Will. I didn't want him to find out like this, I can't believe he would be so careless."

"You didn't want him to find out at all, because you didn't want it to be real. This isn't Luke's fault, Mom."

"Initially, no, but he should have told me when he found out, so we could have decided how best to proceed. But he kept it from me, and what kind of marriage did we have if not only was it not legal, but he can't be honest with me?"

"Mom, him waiting a few days doesn't mean he wasn't going to tell you, maybe he was just having trouble believing it himself," Rory soothed.

"Hon, you've been married just as long as … well, as long as I thought I had been. You can honestly tell me that after all this time there is anything you can see it as acceptable that Tristan keep from you, even for a few days?"

Rory frowned. "I need a for instance."

Lorelai's eyebrow hitched. "Like finding out he got a promotion that would take you away from the home where you raised your children."

Rory looked down. "That was different. It wasn't a betrayal, it was a miscommunication. I knew he was vying for the promotion, which I supported; he just didn't know it involved a move."

"Funny. I seem to remember you fleeing to your own daughter when you found out."

"That was different. He knew I was coming back, because I knew I was coming back. Are you going back?"

"Of course I'm going back."

"So why not go now? Will says he had an idea to make everything better."

"I can't imagine everything being better right now. I need time to absorb this, just like you needed time to be okay with moving here."

Rory nodded. "Moving here was hard, but I did it because I took vows for better or worse, and even my worst day with Tristan is better than my best day without him. You took those same vows, because you felt the same way."

"Well, evidently once he learned he wasn't bound to those vows, he developed a pretty lax scale of what constituted deception."

"Deception? Mom, Luke is about as deceptive as a potted plant."

"Luke hides a lot more than you think he does," Lorelai offered. "I know you like to see the good in everyone, but most people have a tendency to harbor secrets, especially if they think they can get away with it. But I really thought he and I were past all that."

"You are," Rory squeezed her upper arm. "In a few days, you'll calm down, and you'll see his side."

Tristan came down the stairs with a pair of running shoes in hand, at the ready to leave the girls for a run so they could truly eat until their insides were on the outside without watchful and slightly disturbed eyes. Not that outsiders slowed them down, but still. They liked their privacy when ingesting the contents of a normal person's pantry. Especially Rory.

"I see his side. I see the conscious decision he made to keep this from me. I see each and every opportunity he could have used to come clean, to make his part in this a lie, letting me believe that our reality was one way, when really there was this whole other option out there that I didn't know about. And what is that supposed to tell me? That he likes this, our not being married, I mean, is that what this is now?"

Tristan stopped in his tracks, seeing the natural progression of their conversation turning him into a deceptive husband, keeping things from his wife just as Luke had. Lorelai had promised to keep his secret, but had all the tables turned now? Would she use that information to get Rory see her side? He knew all he had to do was walk in and tell them he was going for a run as he planned to do, but he remained bolted in place.

"Of course he wants to marry you," Rory emphasized. "He wants things back to how they used to be."

"This is how things used to be. Nothing's changed," Lorelai said slowly.

"I mean, he wants to set this right," Rory reiterated. "He wants to do whatever will make you happy, because that's what a good partner, a good husband, or elongated fiancé, or whatever you want to call your situation is, does. He's always done what he thinks will make you happy, married or not."

Tristan could feel blood beginning to flow through his body again. He turned his shoulders a couple of times and took soft steps into the main living room.

"I don't mean to interrupt," he smiled softly at his wife, who returned the gesture as he sat down on the edge of the sofa to pull his running shoes on. "Thought I'd get out of here for a while, give you a chance to finish off the cookie drawer."

"You're only leaving for ten minutes?" Lorelai asked with all seriousness.

He smirked. "I was thinking more like a half an hour."

"We'll be all out of even the crappy junk food by then," Rory said. "In fact, we may be gone to the all night grocery when you get back."

He just shook his head as he finished tying the laces off. He stood and stepped to kiss the top of Rory's head. "You know where the emergency money is."

"I still have your credit card," she grinned back evilly.

"Ha-ha," he shoved a house key into his pocket just in case and slipped out the door, hoping that the most of his problems were a large bill from his wife and mother-in-law's late-night cravings.

After he'd left the house, Lorelai bit into the last Red Vine. She chewed thoughtfully, thinking about what Rory said about him just wanting to make her happy. It was the reason Tristan had kept the old house in New York, as an incentive to get them back to where Rory wanted to be. Knowing she'd follow him anywhere was what he needed, and the only reason he hadn't let her in on his secret was that he didn't want to taint her new experience with the air of impermanence. He wanted her to give this as much of a shot as he was, to find out what the new place had in store, even if it was just finding out that they belonged in their old home.

He was giving them options. Was that what Luke was doing as well?

"Do we even have pork rinds left, or should we just go to the store now?"

Rory smiled and stood up to brush various crumbs off her lap. "I'll go do a damage survey. You okay here?"

Lorelai nodded. "I'll just ponder how pork rinds ever even got into this house."

Rory giggled. "It was a gift from the previous owner. They came with the house."

"They probably weren't sure how to properly dispose of them," Lorelai made a face. "Maybe you should call a Haz-Mat team," she called after her, earning a shake of the head as Rory went in to take stock of what was left.

XXXX

Will waited on the front stoop of a very modern, yet modest townhouse in one of Boston's finest neighborhoods. He crossed and uncrossed his arms as he shifted his weight from one leg to another after he'd rung the doorbell at this very late hour. He realized it was the first time he'd been alone in over a week, the first night he and Anna would spend apart as man and wife, and standing where we he was now the feeling of loneliness was particularly amplified. His left hand slid into his pants pocket, allowing his fingertips to brush over the metallic circle, warmed from his body heat, which he'd stowed there earlier in the day. He caught the tip of his ring finger in the center as the door opened slowly to reveal none other than the owner of the very aesthetic, yet masculine home himself.

Will pulled his hand out of his pocket, still ringless, and straightened his shoulders.

"Will?" he asked, his voice a bit groggy, though still dressed in day clothes.

"Christopher," he nodded, using the name that his mother used so often when referring to this man.

"You in some kind of trouble—is your mom okay?" he asked with more than a hint of panic in his voice. He cared—he'd always cared for her. Care wasn't even the right word. It had been odd, knowing his entire life that this alternate universe had existed for his mother. Despite the fact that Lorelai had chosen to make a life with Luke, and Chris had been married, if briefly, and had another child—there was always an underlying current of unused potential between the two of them. As it was, they were the oldest of friends and connected through Rory, and used each other as a hard-wired, unconscious support system over the years. And as this man was a part of both his mother and his sister's lives, he'd been present in the periphery of his as well.

Will let out a breath. If he could avoid telling anyone, it would be Christopher, but he also knew that if he was going to get Lorelai back to Stars Hollow, it was going to take the both of them to convince her. And, as he'd tried and failed, basically it was left to Chris to reason with her. He reminded himself that since he loved her on the most basic of levels, he would want her happiness and realize that her going back to Luke was what that entailed, and he looked the other man in the eyes.

"Can I come in? I know it's late, but I need your help. Mom needs your help," he said with more emphasis.

"Come on in," Chris nodded, more than accommodating the request as he went to get two beers out of the fridge and sat them down on the coffee table in front of them. "What happened?"

XXXX

Pax stood, not sitting like Grey suggested, waiting for further instruction, which he was likely to ignore in his quest to talk to Rosa.

"What?"

"I just want to know something before you start the next round of the screaming match that was enough to wake up the whole campus," Grey pointed out.

"I'm not here to yell at her," he held up his hands in surrender.

"Then why are you here?"

"To talk. In a reasonable tone of voice. She's never just taken off like that before. Clearly, she has the wrong idea about some things, and I want to set a few things straight between us."

"Which things?"

Pax sighed. "Can I please just go in there and explain this to her first?"

"Look," Grey moved to stand closer to his friend. "I know things have always been a little… strained between you guys over certain topics. I just don't want you going in there and making this worse on her."

"Making what worse on her?" Pax asked, incredulous.

"You know what I mean," he said in a low tone, his eyes darting to the still closed door.

"What exactly are you afraid I'm gonna do to her? Is this about the Ella thing, because seriously, I'm not sending anything to Ella."

"This isn't about Ella. This is about Rosa."

Pax looked taken aback, but nodded after a moment. "So, you and I are on the same page. Can I go in there now?"

Grey frowned. "I don't mean to sound like she's talked with me in any way about this, but I know things about her," he spoke haltingly. "She's always cared for you in a different way than the rest of us. I mean, she's always cared for Jasper the way she cares for me, but you… you both seem to try to act oblivious to it, and I think that needs to stop."

Pax closed his eyes and let out a long breath. "Grey, I really need to talk to her."

Grey nodded toward the door. "Fine. But I'm not going anywhere."

Pax shrugged and moved to step behind the partition of the door that he'd been prevented from crossing to this point. He thought of knocking, but decided that it wasn't like she didn't expect him to come barging back in, barring Grey actually forcing him out, and she had to know that in a battle of force, he could definitely hold his own.

He just hoped he could continue to hold his own as he saw her sit up and wipe her eyes. He moved in far enough to shut the door and edged his way toward where she sat.

"Rose?"

"I'm not crying," she said with as much strength as she possessed, and all the determination.

"Rosalia," he sat on the edge of the bed and ducked his head.

"What do you want?" she demanded.

"To talk."

"About what?"

"Your really didn't let me get in much of a word back there. Were you really planning on accusing me of things then running away? It's not like you to run away from me."

"There wasn't anything else to say."

"There wasn't or you didn't want to talk about Ambrose?"

"We weren't talking about Ambrose, Paxton; you snidely made a comment about him being my boyfriend, which he is not."

"You sure about that?" he asked, his voice remaining soft and not at all snarky as she was content to stay.

"As sure of that as I am that you don't like Linzey. Did you leave her on your bathroom floor?"

"I took her home. You were right; the party was a bad idea. But you were wrong about some things, too."

"I don't want to hear it anymore, Pax," she pulled her body back from the beginning of his lean into her.

"Are you sure?"

"Just go. You should be working on your next plan to get Ella back."

"My dad told me the best way to get someone out of my head was to date someone else. And I listened to him, not because it was new advice, but because I'd tried it in the past and it had almost worked."

"You took your dad's dating advice?" she asked, thoroughly confused.

"When I broke it off with Ella, it was mainly because it was so hard with the whole Jasper situation, that's true, but I was willing to do it because I knew that while I really liked her as a person, the reason I'd started dating her was to get my mind off of someone else entirely. It just got too messy when she seemed to like me back and Jasper wanted her too, so this way, with someone truly random, I figured it would be much easier."

"I really don't understand," she blinked, shaking her head at him.

"The reason I was trying to get over this other girl," he smiled and looked up into her eyes, "was because not only did she show no real interest in me, but she seemed to be completely into this other guy that is my opposite in every way."

Her eyes crinkled as her mouth turned down. He reached out to move her hair off her shoulder.

"Pax," she stopped leaning away from him.

His other hand moved up to her other shoulder, and before she knew it, his hands were cupping her face. He leaned in so that his forehead was brushing against hers, his nose pressing into her cheek. "You're sure you don't have a boyfriend?" he whispered.

"Yes," she breathed.

He wasn't one to hesitate, and his lips were on hers before the syllable was finished passing through them. She let the feeling of him overwhelm her for the first few moments, but before he pulled back, she had begun to respond to his kiss. Her eyes were still closed when he put his hands back on her shoulders to steady himself.

"Oh," she finally said. "That's what you meant."

He smiled and leaned in again, but this time she responded immediately in kind.

XXXX

Ella sat on the bench outside the main library, illuminated in streetlights, not caring about the late hour, but hoping her mother meant the whole thing about call anytime about anything. She dialed her home number and waited.

"Hello?"

"Daddy?"

"Els? What's wrong?"

"Is Mom there?" she didn't want to get into the whole spiel with him. With her luck, he'd come up with Jess before she was done explaining to kick the butt of every boy in a ten-block radius of her, out of principle. Boy issues were just not a dad thing.

"She went out with Lorelai," he answered. "What's wrong?"

"Wait, Gramma's there? Did you two have a fight?"

"Do not change the subject, and no, we didn't. I can behave, you know."

"Sure," she said. "When will she be back?"

"I don't know, they went on a food run."

"Oh, geez."

"Says the girl that doesn't have to be here when they get back and decide to keep me up all night in their sugar-buzzed mania, where men might as well just be sperm donors and serve food."

"Must you say sperm?" she asked distastefully.

"Didn't your mother give you the 'birds and the bees' speech?"

"It was more like a presentation with outlines and pie charts," she frowned on her end of the line.

"Of course it was. So, what do you need?"

"I just wanted to talk to Mom, that's all."

"At half past midnight?"

"Is it that late?" she cringed.

"Do you need money? I can deposit some into your account in the morning," he offered.

"It's not about money—besides, no way would I come to Mom for money," she scoffed.

"What's that mean?"

"Nothing. Maybe I'll just call back tomorrow."

"No, not nothing. You called here in the middle of the night, clearly in need of something. Hit me."

"No, Daddy, it's seriously a Mom thing."

"A Mom thing? What constitutes a Mom thing?"

"It's about boys," she admitted, her lower lip threading through her teeth.

"And I'm not qualified? Last I checked, I had way more insight into the male psyche than your mother did. And the proper equipment."

"Ew, God, just tell Mom to call me when she gets back," she begged off.

"I just meant that you should feel comfortable coming to either of us for any issue, not just me for money and her for boys. We're a first come, first serve kind of outfit here."

"I don't think you really grasp the gravity of the situation here," she sighed.

"If it's that serious," he began.

"No, I mean the fact that if I talk to you about boys I won't get a serious answer. If I talk to Mom about money, I'll get a lecture about saving my money and making it stretch farther by looking for bargains and cutting corners."

"That may be true about your Mom, but I can give you a serious answer about guys. Go on, and I promise not to ask how ugly he is."

"See, that's exactly what I meant," she griped.

"I'm kidding. Kind of. And, you know, if you do this for me, I'll forget about your little confession about using your parents to your own advantage. I feel cheap."

"Dad, do I have to?" she whined.

"Yes. Come on, tell me all about the boy."

"It's not about a specific boy, per say," she hedged.

"I'm listening," he encouraged.

"It's just that, let's say, if you—when you were much younger and before you met Mom," she prefaced. "If you liked a girl, is there any reason you would be standoffish toward her?"

"Standoffish how?"

"Not ignoring her, but not really showing her you like her. Treating her like every other girl around you, despite a weird vibe between you."

He thought a moment, scanning through his pursuits of every girl he'd liked and enjoyed in his youth. "No," he frowned.

She groaned. "You never had any difficulty in showing your attraction for any reason with any girl, ever?"

He had a sudden image of sneaking side glances of Rory in class, his hand bumping hers and making both of them jump and shift in their seats so as to not have a repeat and chance an electrical snap in the air. It was the first day his tactics had gone from blatant asking to avoidant and unsure.

"Okay. One girl," he consented.

"Well, why were you standoffish with her?"

He chuckled. "I'd kissed her."

"You kissed her?"

"Yep."

"You kissed her, then you ignored her?"

"Not really ignoring, just, sort of observing. When we kissed, it sort of shifted something and I wasn't really sure how to proceed. Or if she wanted me to proceed."

"So, you backed off, even though you liked her, because you were waiting for her to tell you if she liked you back?"

He took in her words. "Pretty much."

"So, what happened?"

"She told me, several times on many occasions, that it had been a mistake."

"Oh."

"Of course, I found out much later that she'd been just as confused as I was, and wished I'd kissed her again."

"Wait—you gave up on it?"

"She yelled that she hated me across a courtyard, of course I gave up on her."

"So, when did she tell you that she wished you'd kissed her again?"

"On our first real date," he smirked. "You can ask her all about in the morning, when I have her call to check up on you."

"That was Mom?"

"Who else would put me through so much agony for one little kiss?" he smirked.

"So, you just wanted her to give you a signal?"

"It's generally all it takes. Especially if you don't want to lose that person in another way. She and I, we had this 'friend' thing we tried at that time, not that it worked, but I thought that if she didn't want me as a boyfriend," he paused. "Just save yourself, and the guy, a lot of grief. If you only like him as a friend, tell him. But if you want something more, it's better not to tell him you hate him or keep him too far at bay. Mixed signals are no one's friend."

Ella smiled. "I think I can handle that."

"Of course you can. We raised you to be better than we were."

"Give Mom a hug for me, and tell her I'll talk to her next time?"

"No call back tonight?" he inquired.

"I think I have what I need. Thanks, Dad."

"You're welcome," he smiled.

"But if you want to wire me some money, I am running a bit on the low side," she began quickly.

"Save it for your mother," he laughed as they said their good byes and good nights.

XXXX

Pax sat up and turned her alarm clock around, the time reading much further into the night than he had been so sure it was. Her hand wrapped around his arm and pulled his attention back to her. His smile warmed as he looked back at her.

"It's late."

"I figured," she giggled. "You got somewhere to be?"

"No," he settled back down against her. "No, no, it's just, Grey said he would be out there," he pointed to her door. "You think he's still there?"

She shrugged. "Don't know, don't care. I haven't heard him leave, not that I could tell that from Ella coming home if she did," she breathed.

"You don't care?" he inquired.

"I'm pretty much content right at this moment," she rested her head on his shoulder. "Aren't you?"

"I'm good, it's just…," he looked back at the door then down at her. "What are we supposed to tell him? He's gonna think either we killed each other or that we…."

She sat up and looked at him full in the eyes. "But we didn't, we aren't," she blinked.

"I'm not saying that we… I just meant, his mind will wander. Come on, if he was in here for two hours, in the same situation with some girl, wouldn't you jump to conclusions?"

"I just don't want to rush this. I mean, we don't even know what this is," she bit her lip. "Until very recently, I had no idea that you had even considered," more hesitation, "me."

"Well, I did. But after you broke up with that guy last year, I saw what that did to you, and you went on and on about not wanting to be with anyone, not seriously. Then, when Ella's brother came up with Ambrose, I watched you just light up around him," he shrugged.

"He's a great guy," she said with all honesty. "But as well as we got along, there was always something that stopped me from letting it become more."

"Something?"

"Someone," she repeated, touching his cheek. "I put all my focus into not letting you get hurt with Ella, I didn't want to admit that I would be jealous of you two. I love her, and well," her eyes averted as she thought about her feelings for him and how it was too soon to not only tell him, but to be sure herself. "If you two had been happy together, I would have been happy for you."

"She is great," he agreed. "But I think we both know she's more into someone else."

"Yeah. Maybe we should scheme to make them both realize that," her eyes lit up.

"But what about us? Do we tell them about us?"

She took in his question. "Maybe we should wait. Not that we can't still do this," she curled into him, enjoying this proximity they'd allowed each other for the first time. "We just don't have to broadcast it yet."

"Agreed," he leaned down just enough to kiss her again. "So, that means I should get going."

"You know, Grey's probably asleep," she tossed out.

"Oh, really?" he smirked.

"So we should be good for another ten minutes or so," she said diplomatically.

"Ten more minutes, then I'm going back to my own room. Alone," he added for safety to cover his bases.

"Well, not completely alone. I'd appreciate it if you take Grey with you," she giggled as he leaned her down, coming just shy of shutting her up.

"Two hours and already you're bossing me around?"

"Like I don't have a lifetime of practice," she got in the final word before succumbing to his silencing tactics.


	57. Chapter 57

AN: you guys rock, with the reviews and the support! see, the motivation equals lots of updating. I love a symbiotic relationship. (kisses) Here's the next installment, hope you enjoy!

"I tell you, she's completely and utterly clueless—It's empowering, like I could become King of the World and the Ultimate Fighting Champion of the Universe and tell her about it whenever I felt like it," Finn eased back against the headboard as his son flipped through the stations of the television with the remote, seemingly ignoring his father.

"I mean, it's something she's always wanted," Finn said louder, frowning as his son flipped from infomercial to infomercial. "Where is regular programming?"

"It's too early on a Saturday morning. Why are we up again?"

"Your mother wanted to get in the bathroom before your cousin and her rabid friends took over," he reminded. "Which gives us a perfect time for me to show you these," he leaned over and pulled a few photographs out of his suitcase and tossed them at his son.

Jasper looked up. "Are you insane? She'll find these!"

"She's not even looking! She's expecting jewelry or a new car or a trip to Barbados," he rambled off.

"But it's Mom; you can't be too careful," Jasper said as he picked up the pictures and rifled through them. "This is a rat hole."

"Well, your mother was desperate for this rat hole. And while it's true that the previous owners let it go a bit, I know a guy that can restore it to its natural radiance."

"Hard to imagine," he said as he handed the pictures back to his father and resumed his search for a product worthy of sending in $29.95.

Finn selected a picture and thrust it back at his son. "Look at this one," he tried again to snag his interest. "Once we rip that down," he frowned, "and replace all that there," he continued.

"Yeah, sure, she'll love it," he said noncommittally.

"Okay, what is wrong? You used to love to help me pull one over on your mom, and now you're staring at an Insta-Drainer?"

"It also grates cheese," Jasper frowned.

"Are you still fighting with Pax?" Finn inquired.

Jasper looked up. "No," he said quickly. "That's not it."

"Then what is the matter? Are you upset because your cousin is marrying what's his face?"

"What? No!"

"Then what's the matter? Because if you keep this up, your mother will notice, eventually, after she gets done placing her bets on how much longer this marriage will last after their frozen cake topper goes bad, and you know you can't brush her off like me. Her attention span is much longer."

Jasper sighed and put the remote down. "I've just been thinking--," he began, but at that moment his mother came in with wet hair and a robe wrapped around her.

"Thinking about what? Oooh, is that a Snap 'N' Seal?" she plopped down on the bed the two men were seated on.

"Longer attention span?" Jasper looked warily at his father.

Finn shrugged. "Don't you normally come out of the bathroom drier and more shellacked?"

Katherine turned to smack Finn, who had stuffed the pictures under the mattress in her amazement over the vacuum-sealer that was making dried fruit on the screen. "I was forced to leave."

Finn groaned. "Tell me you didn't hide your brother's Pop Tarts again."

"No," she narrowed her eyes. "I haven't done that since last Christmas. But he deserved it; he ate the last of my Doritos."

"My mother and role model," Jasper smirked.

"It was Elizabeth. She came bounding in, while I was in the shower, and threw up in the toilet."

"Ew!" both boys groaned. "What, from nerves?" Finn inquired.

"More like a parasite," Katherine smirked at both of the seemingly clueless men. "What? Didn't what's-his-face let it slip at the bachelor party last night?"

"The only thing he slipped was his number to our hostess," Jasper rolled his eyes.

"And the stripper," Finn nudged him good-naturedly with his elbow.

"Stripper?" Katherine balked.

"Erm, exotic dancer. Fully clothed exotic dancer."

Katherine raised an eyebrow.

"I was in the bathroom the whole time, bad clams," he coughed.

Her gaze narrowed.

"Have I told you how ravishing you are today?" he smiled.

"She's pregnant," she said, looking at her son. "It figures that what's-his-name couldn't figure out the directions on the condom box," she rolled her eyes.

"You mean, the groom?" Jasper joked.

"What exactly is his name?" Finn asked.

"It starts with an S, doesn't it? Scott? Steve?" Katherine mused.

"I thought it was an M. Mark? Matt? Marty?" Jasper offered.

"Just ask your brother," Finn offered.

Katherine snorted. "Like he'd know. He just calls him 'Hey you,' you know, like 'Hey, you, bring me a beer,' or 'Hey, you, hurt my daughter and I'll have my uncles break your kneecaps,'" she giggled. "Besides, he's still pissed at me."

"For what?"

"For offering to throw a bridal shower," she inspected her nails innocently.

"Mom! How could you?" Jasper asked accusingly.

"What? It's probably better that the family curse nixes this thing before they get married. At least then there would have been a chance that the sperm donor would have gotten into a horrible, ten-car pile up on the way to the church and died a long, comatose death without Elizabeth being legally bound to him. Now she's gonna have to get a divorce."

"They'll probably just get an annulment," Finn offered.

"But it's clear they consummated," Katherine shook her head. "The girl has an empire waist gown. That pretty much says it all, doesn't it?"

"She could always cite fraud," Jasper offered. "You know, claim that he passed himself off as a human being, but she found out after the fact that he was a lying, cheating slime ball."

Katherine giggled. "Poor baby. Even if it gets the best of both parents," she shuddered. "Oh well. Not every child can be as gorgeous as mine is," she beamed at her son. She looked at him for a moment, and then turned back to the infomercial. "Ohmigod! What's wrong?"

"What? Nothing!" he covered.

"Jasper Wellington, today is not the day to lie to me—there are enough cover-ups going on in this house today. Are you sick? Fail an exam? What?"

"Darling, let the boy watch his bloody infomercial in peace," Finn soothed.

"Is he covering for you? What have you done? Did the Indonesian Coast Guard find you?" she pointed her finger at him.

"Me? Am I the one that looks guilty?" he cried out.

"Guilty? Why should either of you look guilty?" she sniffed the trouble in the air. They were up to something, and she knew it.

"Guilty? I meant troubled. And it's him, not me. He's not talking," he stood up quickly. "I'm going to go shave. I don't want your family introducing me as their Australian gay son-in-law again," he moaned.

"Dad was kidding!" she called after him.

"You should have just let him shave," Jasper shook his head.

"I was in labor; I wasn't going to let him go groom himself while I was pushing a human life out of me. Now, tell me what's wrong. Is it Pax?"

Jasper groaned and pulled a pillow over his face. Katherine removed it and held it in her lap as she waited.

"No. Pax is fine. Well, he's dating a rather annoying girl. Oh, you'll appreciate this," he smirked. "Her name is Linzey," he enunciated properly.

"Lindsey?" she repeated.

"With a Z," he held back the laugh.

"Oh, Pax," she put the pillow up to her face. "I'm gonna have to call Amy."

"It won't last. Trust me, even if she's a good la--," he cut off, realizing it was his mother seated next to him. "Rosa surely tore her apart in a matter of minutes. I'm sure it's probably over by now, in fact."

"Rosa can always be counted on, when it comes to you boys."

Jasper nodded.

"So, what is the matter?"

"Nothing," he said quickly. "Look, they're sucking the air out of a kumquat," he pointed at the television with the remote.

"You're worrying me," she warned. "You haven't been this shifty since you 'adopted' all those baby ducks and stashed them in the guest bathroom."

"That wasn't my idea," he protested. "Rosa said they'd die if they didn't have water."

She rolled her eyes. "Because at age five, Rosa was a duck expert?"

"Mom, I just don't want to talk about it. I just want to think. And avoid any and all family discussions about how and why Elizabeth is glowing today," he added.

Katherine sighed. "I will let this go, for now, but only because I have to iron my black dress and let you boys take me out for breakfast."

He nodded. "I'll go get dressed, too," he turned the television off and stood up. "How long did you give it?"

She smirked. "Six months. I'm hoping when she has the kid, it won't look like him and he'll scoot along."

"You're so bad," he kissed her cheek and took his leave.

XXXX

Will woke up sore and exhausted. All he wanted to do was stretch out and sleep for a year. He moved his legs down, but found that his feet were hanging off the end of the bed. He opened his eyes to see posters of half-dressed boy bands on the walls, and a lace-lampshade next to a Hello Kitty alarm clock. He could see his mother in this room as a teenager, but it really wasn't his taste.

"Coffee?" came a voice from the doorway.

"Please," he moaned, swinging his legs off the side of the bed to sit up. "Do me a favor?"

"Sure," Chris offered.

"Don't tell anyone I slept in this room. Ever."

Chris laughed. "Yeah, it's not my taste, either, but I've never had much luck talking teenage girls out of anything."

Will looked up at him in surprise.

"That sounded different in my head," he nodded. "Coffee's in the kitchen. You want breakfast?"

Will shook his head. "We have a long drive. We should probably just hit the road. Rory's basically on her own down there. And, as much as she wants Mom to go home and be happy, she's probably glad to have a familiar face around, you know?"

Chris nodded. "You get coffee, and I'll grab my stuff."

"Thanks, for doing this. I know you don't have to," Will looked up at the man.

Chris smiled. "I owe her. She's kicked me in the butt enough times in our lives."

Will nodded, feeling better at his choice of words. He'd watched hope float, if only like a ghost, across Chris' face in the wee hours of the night before they'd taken what seemed like a very short nap. Will had been ready to hit the road once Chris agreed to go to North Carolina, but Chris had pointed out that it was a long drive and Will already looked road-weary. Starting fresh in the morning would also give Lorelai time to sleep on things and hopefully see sense faster after they arrived.

He just hoped he was doing the right thing.

XXXX

Ella opened her door with ease, fully aware of the change from street lamps to the first beams of dawn lighting her path back. She had her father's words in her head, and she'd roamed the campus all night, letting everything sink in.

All she wanted to do now was get under her covers, be thankful it was Saturday, and get under her covers. What she hadn't anticipated, however, was a fast-asleep Greyson on her couch.

He was clearly out cold, and she leaned down to make sure he was breathing. She didn't think he'd had that much to drink, and he was definitely in okay shape when she'd departed from him the night before. He was breathing very evenly, and so she checked his forehead and moved to her room to get a blanket for him. She was pulling it up over his chest when his eyes snapped open.

"Ella?" he blinked.

"Yeah?" she asked, a bit flustered.

"What time is it?"

"Um," she checked her watch. "Six?"

He blinked a few more times. "I feel asleep?"

"I guess so. Was she so bad that you had to stay?" she sat down on the edge of the couch, next to his hips.

He shook his head, trying to get the order right in his head. Suddenly he couldn't remember if Pax had left or not. "Um, I was talking to her, then Pax showed up."

"He had the nerve to come back for more? Is he dumb?" she cried out.

"Shh—he might still be in there," he held a finger up to her lips.

She quieted, then regrouped in a softer tone. "Still in there? Didn't you see him leave?"

"I fell asleep," he cringed. "I was supposed to be watching out for her, and I fell asleep."

Ella shook her head. "He couldn't stay, he had that ding-bat in his room."

"I got the feeling she'd been taken care of," he said with a lilt.

"Wait—what's going on?" she asked.

"Pax was really determined to talk to Rosa," he stressed his sister's name.

"Whoa—Pax… and Rosa?" she blinked.

He nodded.

"That makes…," she began as something seemed to dawn on her. "So much sense."

He nodded again. "I know."

"Wow. Then everything's okay. You can go home," she offered.

"No way! If they are… then my best friend just spent the night with my sister. I have to kick his ass."

"What?" she laughed. "Why?"

"He can't just have his way with my sister, especially on the first date… or drunken fight. Whatever. It's not gonna happen. I have to wait to see if he's here."

"You've got to be exhausted. Just go home, get some sleep. I'm here, I'll kick his ass," she yawned.

"Are you just getting in?"

She nodded. "I walked around all night, thinking," she looked at him for a beat.

"You walked around campus all night, by yourself?" he reiterated.

"Yeah, so?"

"That's not safe," he lectured.

"Grey," she rolled her eyes.

"It's not. You should have come gotten one of us."

"You were waiting to kick Pax's ass, and they were … well, that's yet to be determined," she smiled at his clear discomfort. "Besides, I wanted some time to myself, to think."

"What were you thinking about?" he asked, sitting up a bit more, now wedged between her and the back of the couch.

"Just, everything. How everything seems so complicated, but really it might not be," she responded honestly.

"How's that?" he asked, getting the beginnings of an odd vibe from her.

"It's like Pax and Rosa, you know? It's not so obvious to everyone, to look at them, that they would get together, especially to them, but then it makes total sense when you think about it. I think that's what I want, and I've been making everything too complicated," she admitted.

He listened to her, and grasped at what she was saying. He heard his sister's voice in his head, telling him that she knew who had captured Ella's heart, but she hadn't said who. Never before had he even considered it might have been him, in any real sense, but the way Ella was sitting there, caring for him, pouring her heart out… was she talking about him?

"It's easy to do. Get caught up in other things, I mean," he agreed, still not sure how he felt about the whole of the situation. His role in the insanity of this group and their revolving relationships had been so constant, but now, even for a brief moment, he let his mind wander just a little bit.

"Yeah, it is," she bit her lip, in thought. "So, I should probably get some sleep. We're gonna leave early to get good seats for Chaos. Were you able to get a ticket?"

Her wide blue eyes were filled with something akin to hope. The draw of the sheer possibility that she wanted him to reined him in; he found himself leaning in toward her, closer than he ever had before. He closed his eyes and moved the last fraction of an inch toward her lips.

He opened his eyes a moment later when he met nothing but air.

She looked thoroughly confused, and he felt a rush of regret. "Ella," he began, ready to do damage control. Normally letting the moment take him worked for him, but she wasn't as spontaneous as she would like to think she was. Even if she had been talking about him, she'd want some kind of clear sign that he felt the same way, save for an unsure kiss.

"I'm just gonna go to bed. I'm really tired," she stood up awkwardly, backing away from the scene of the would-be crime.

"Right," his forehead crinkled as words escaped him. After about ten seconds of staring at her closed door, the one on the other side opened, and Rosa emerged. She smiled at her brother, went to the mini-fridge and pulled out a bottle of Gatorade. She took a long swig and looked back at him.

"What?"

"Nothing. I'm just, um, gonna go home."

"Aren't you going to ask about Pax?" she seemed dumbfounded.

He hugged his sister and pulled back. "What about him?"

"Nothing," she dismissed her revelry. "You okay?"

"I'm good. I was waiting up for you, I didn't know how that would turn out. You guys okay?" he refocused, albeit half-heartedly, on his sister.

"We made up," she nodded. "He should be back in your room. He didn't wake you up?"

Grey shook his head. "I'm just gonna go get some sleep. I'm glad you're okay," he hugged her again and left.

"Well, that's not quite what I expected," she said to herself as she took the Gatorade back into her room and shut the door.

XXXX

Gwen had just checked Jess' forehead, feeling the fever had not yet broken, before she moved down the hall and knocked softly on Ambrose's door. She heard the music stop, and his door opened.

"Yeah?" he asked. "Dad okay?"

She shrugged. "He's still resting. Can I talk to you a sec?"

He nodded and left the door open for her to walk through. She sat at his desk, nearly wringing her hands.

"Everything okay?" he inquired.

"I just wanted to ask you something, hypothetically," she said slowly.

"Hypothetically?" he repeated. "Is this about babysitting?"

"No," she said, surprised. "Why?"

"No reason. It's just, I don't know if you guys have worked out who's gonna be watching this kid, but I'm gonna be really busy next year, and," he began.

"Am, slow down," she waved her hand.

"And I'm not really a kid person, you know? They run and fall down, and they then cry, and as soon as you get them calmed down they run again, like they forgot how they fell down the first time," he groaned. "And then there is the matter of the mystery substance that seems to coat their hands, at all times," he frowned.

"Okay, no babysitting for you, got it," she nodded curtly. "That's not what this is about."

"Okay, so, what can I do for you? You know, hypothetically?" he smirked.

She shook her head at him and his likeness to his father. "Suppose you knew something that you didn't want to know," she began.

"I'm with you," he nodded.

"And it's something that you realize that a certain other person wouldn't approve of if they knew," she hedged, desperate not to give out any specific information at all.

"Uh-huh," he eyed her.

"And yet, at the same time, you feel bad telling them, as it would kind of rat out a certain other person that you don't want to hate you."

"What did Jules do?" he inquired.

"Why would you assume it's her?"

"Because I'm guessing if it were any other person in the world, we wouldn't be having this conversation," he pointed out.

"Right," she bit her lip. "Should I tell your Dad?"

He sighed. "That depends. What did she do?"

"She came in late last night. Your grandma knows, but I overheard them making a deal not to tell Jess," she admitted.

"Damnit," he got up from his own seat on the foot of his bed and went for his door. Seconds later, Gwen heard pounding on the door across the hall, and by the time she got to the hallway, there was yelling coming from behind the closed door.

"Shit, Jess will wake up," she said to herself, moving out of the room slowly to find Liz at the door, knocking even though the sound wasn't to be heard over the yelling inside.

"Just, open it," Gwen motioned with her hands, glancing back at her own bedroom door.

"Right," Liz opened the door, to reveal the teens standing with crossed arms and stern looks on their faces.

"You can't pull this kind of crap!" he yelled.

"Hey, kids, now," Liz began in a normal tone of voice, which may as well have been a whisper comparatively.

"You're not my father, you can't tell me what I can and can't do!" she yelled back.

"Guys," Gwen piped up, her nerves jumping at the knowledge that even Jess couldn't sleep through too much more.

"If would use your brain, I wouldn't have to jump in and save you all the time!" he yelled, ignoring everyone else.

"You're just jealous that I have a boyfriend, and no one will give you the time of day!" she came back.

"Kids," Gwen stepped forward, her voice louder.

"At least I won't end up knocked up before I'm out of high school!" he yelled.

"Separate corners!" Gwen yelled at them for the first time, putting her body between the warring siblings.

"What," came a very disturbed voice from the hall, "Is going on here?"

"Oh, Jess, honey, go back to bed," Liz moved to his side.

He shirked her off and looked at his very guilty-looking kids. "Anyone care to share?" he coughed.

"Jess," Gwen stepped up, but looked to each of the kids and stopped. She realized it wasn't her place to rat Jules out, at least not if the girl stepped up now to do it herself.

"Everyone who's been pregnant can leave," he said as Ambrose shot a pointed look at his sister.

"God!" she yelled.

"Enough!" Jess yelled as loud as he could, despite his raw throat. He coughed for a good minute, neither woman truly willing to leave him unaided. "Go," he managed.

"Can I just talk to you a sec?" Gwen asked.

"I got this," he assured her, giving her a slight rub on the arm.

"Not you," she cringed. "Jules."

He frowned, "They're just being kids," he began to explain.

"Give me five minutes, and while you're waiting, get back to bed. You're sick," she reminded him. "Am, can you help him back to bed?" Gwen directed, taking both boys by surprise. "Now?" she prompted.

Ambrose moved to awkwardly hold his father's elbow, as if for support, and Jess shook him off, muttering about being a grown man and not in need of adult diapers or any other form of babying. Ambrose followed behind him anyhow, apparently to watch him get back in bed.

Gwen looked to Liz, who was watching the two in a moderate amount of amusement. "Um, Liz," she began diplomatically.

"He never changes, does he? He's always been so independent," she shook her head.

"I'd sort of like to talk to just Jules," Gwen hinted.

"Oh, my, of course. I'll just… go check on the boys," she paused to look at Jules. "And don't you worry," she winked.

"Uh, thanks," Jules answered.

Gwen waited for the door to shut and motioned for Jules to sit. "So, I was up last night, and I didn't want to wake your father, so I went down the hall to use the bathroom," she began, seemingly not talking about anything of importance.

"What time?"

"One-ish," Gwen said pointedly.

"Oh," Jules looked down. "Grandma said it was okay," she tried.

"Jules," Gwen sighed. "Liz, as much as she loves you, isn't the one that gets to decide what time you should be home. She doesn't live here," she explained.

"Nothing happened, I'm fine. Just a little late, we lost track of time, and," she began to ramble.

"Your dad didn't make the rules to include exceptions," she said. "And your losing track of time is exactly what he's worried about, so I don't think he'd buy that nothing happened."

"You're gonna tell him, then?" Jules asked knowingly, a pout already forming.

"No," Gwen stood up. "You're going to tell him. You ready?"

Jules frowned. "What?"

Gwen sighed. "Look, I know you and me, we've never really had to get into the whole 'rules' and stepmother thing, but for all intensive purposes that's what is going on here. I have to have some role in your life, and it's not going to be helping you get away with things. I can't do that, for no other reason that I think you're a great person and I don't want to see you getting into trouble or going down the wrong path. Capice?"

Jules nodded slowly. "So, you're saying this is for my own good? 'Cause that's what Dad always says."

Gwen smiled. "Maybe I won't be so bad at this whole mother thing, huh?"

"Do I really have to tell him? He's gonna ground me, then," she rambled.

"If you tell him, he might go easier on you than if someone else told him, think of it that way."

"I think he's still gonna ground me."

"Then, maybe it's time for you to do something more local, like watching movies in the apartment for your next date. I might even drag your dad out so you can have a semblance of privacy for a few hours."

"You'd do that?"

Gwen stepped up to put her hand on her shoulder. "I told you. I think you're a great kid, and I remember what it was like to be your age. As long as you use the brain I know you have, I have all trust in your judgment."

"So, I have to tell him."

"Better now. Ambrose might have given him more Nyquil."

Jules smiled half-heartedly and stood up to move first to the door. "If not, then I guess I will."

"Go," Gwen laughed and gave her a slight push out into the hallway.

XXXX

Tristan rolled over and met something warm and in the path of his early morning stretch in efforts to reposition into just as comfortable a sleep as he'd been in. His hand slid out to confirm the source of this roadblock was none other than the soft leg of his wife. His arm wrapped around her thigh, and he settled back down, using it as a teddy bear.

Until the gentle tapping of his scalp began. He took her hand, brought it to his lips and put it back on her lap. He'd almost drifted back off when she did it again.

"Rory," he moaned.

"Shhh," she chastised. "You'll wake everyone up."

"Everyone?" he murmured, searching his brain for who all that entailed. Normally Rory was name specific, unless they were playing host to all the kids in the summer time or they were at the Vineyard and all the relatives had converged upon them. He opened his eyes to see the familiar furniture of their bedroom underneath and all around him, and looked up at her.

"Mom is in Ella's room and Jake is just across the hall," she reminded him.

"Your mother is in a sugar coma, which I'm surprised you aren't as well, and Jake can literally sleep through a natural disaster. Remember when he slept through that wind storm?"

"He was five and medicated," she reminded.

"Still. Ella screamed for hours about her wagon flying off, and your mother called her every five minutes until the phones died, then Ella cried about the lack of phones," he rolled his eyes.

Rory giggled. "It was a long, bad night."

"And he slept. He'd been taking that allergy medicine long enough to be a little immune to the drowsiness factor," he remembered. Then he realized the reason his wife was sitting up was that she had a notepad in her lap, and it had been a pen, not her finger that had been tapping on his head. "What are you doing?" he groaned.

"Nothing, just, making a list."

"For what?"

"Well," she bit her lip and handed it over for inspection.

"'Extended visit to Stars Hollow, Pro and Con,'" he read. "Rory, come on."

"Mom is a mess; even if whatever Will thinks he can do to make her go back works, she's gonna need support when she goes back, and who knows what will happen. Plus, you said Ella called last night."

"Ella is fine," he reassured her. "I told you everything, she's not in crisis."

"But she's going through a lot of changes, and it might be nice if I were closer."

"We've been out of Connecticut a long time," he sighed. "We weren't so close in New York."

"I know that," she said quietly. "I'm just seeing if it makes sense."

"Well, fine. Let's work on this list," he sat up, taking the pen from her. "Oh, you missed a few in the con section," he began writing with determination.

"Hey! Only the list maker can add to the list!" she protested. "What are you writing?" she inquired, looking over his shoulder. "'Husband on his own?'"

"Well, I can't go to Stars Hollow," he pointed out.

"You wouldn't be alone—Jake would be here. He has school."

"Yes, but imagine for a moment, if you will, you're gone for a week, maybe more. Two Dugrey men, alone with no housekeeper…how does the house look in your mind when you get back?" he baited her.

"So, I hire someone to come in every few days while I'm gone," she frowned.

"Fine," he continued to scribble on the paper.

"Tristan!" she smacked him. "That's not funny!"

"It's true," he countered.

"Your sexual frustration has no determining factor in my decision to go. This isn't about you," she promised.

"But it affects me," he stuck his bottom lip out. "Don't you care what happens to me?"

"Of course I care about you. I'd do anything for you," she soothed him. "But other people need me sometimes, too."

"Not as much as me," he wrapped his other arm around her. "I need you on a regular basis, or I shudder to think what would become of me."

"You did fine before I came into your life," she sighed as his melodrama.

"Yes, but I was on a downward spiral," he shook his head. "Can you imagine what would have happened if you weren't in my life?"

"I don't think that my being gone for two weeks will send you into a tailspin."

"While I beg to differ," he said thoughtfully, "I meant before now."

"You mean, in college?"

He nodded. "What if you hadn't responded to that email?"

"Well, technically, I didn't mean to in the first place. I was just trying to tell Paris how annoying she was," she smirked.

"Yes, yes, you, the queen of details, didn't notice that she was clicking 'reply all' instead of 'reply.'"

"It was right next to it," she grumped.

"Please. I can see you now, sitting in a cold computer lab, seeing my name, wondering if I was still as hot as I had been when you last saw me," he grew nostalgic.

She smacked him. "Mind your ego," she warned.

"And even if you didn't mean to, your subconscious was desperate to reach out to me. Nothing is accidental."

"Whatever. So, what would have happened if I hadn't gotten in touch with you via that email? I still would have seen you at your grandfather's birthday party."

"Oh, really?" he countered.

"Really," she dismissed.

"No," he shook his head.

"No?" she questioned. "What do you mean, no? You never avoided Janlan."

"True, but I avoided my father. I hadn't been planning on going. I had been planning on inviting the old man down for dinner on me the next time he swung south. And, if I'd been given no other choice, I would have taken someone else that would have, as you say, occupied my time to the point that I might have missed the brief half hour you'd planned on staying. Next?"

She let out a breath of defeat. "We still would have run into each other somehow, I'm sure."

"Face it, Rory. Had you not been pining for me, we might not have been brought back together."

"I was not pining! Wait—are you saying you came to Hartford for me and solely for me?" she turned to face him.

"I… that's not the point," he frowned.

"You did. You came to Hartford just to have coffee with me. That's quite a trip for a cup of coffee."

"You'd walk over broken glass and hot coals in hundred degree weather for a cup of Luke's," he pointed out.

"Am I your Luke's coffee?" she giggled.

"Stop avoiding the question. What do you think would have happened to us?"

"Well, you'd probably be on your third wife," she laughed.

"What?" he balked. "No, no way. I wouldn't have gotten married."

"You would too," she assured him. "I'm the one that wouldn't have gotten married."

"You would have married some poor sap, not dissimilar to Dean, who would have given in to your every whim—you'd probably be living next door to your mother," he mused.

"What? No. I would have still come to New York," she tried to sound certain.

He shook his head. "Stars Hollow Gazette."

She smacked him with a pillow. "You'd have been in North Carolina the whole time. You probably wouldn't be talking to your family. Your dad might never have gotten help," she pointed out.

"Yeah," he said sullenly. "Probably not."

"I don't like talking about this," she frowned.

"See? I need you too much. Disaster strikes when we're apart," his point was good and proven.

She put her head on his shoulder. "I'm not trying to get away from you. I just hate seeing Mom like this. What can I do, if not go back with her?"

"I don't know," he replied honestly. "But what can you really do for her?"

"I can make sure the town hasn't taken sides, or put a big piece of tape down the middle of the square, should they have found out," she said.

"That so wouldn't happen," he frowned.

She gave him a look.

"Kirk wouldn't allow it. He still upholds Taylor's mandates, and there was that rule about tee-peeing in more than five trees on a single street—I'm sure tape would follow the same bylaws."

Rory nodded. "I guess you're right."

"And if she gets there, and for whatever reason she needs you, I'll take you up there myself."

"But, you have work," she shook her head. "They need you; you have barely been able to take a day off."

"Rory, this doing anything for the other person goes both ways."

"I'm glad I hit the wrong button," she whispered, leaning up slightly to kiss him.

He closed his eyes and let the feel of her lips on his take over for a moment before he turned up on his side and brought her into his arms. He felt her hesitate for just a moment, and he dipped his head to whisper in her ear.

"You don't need the list," he chided her.

"Oh, shut up," she took the list from his lap and tossed it off the bed, just before she sat up to toss one leg over his hips.

"Gonna show me how much you need me?" he smirked, his hands busy in attempts to remove superfluous articles of the non-paper variety.

"I'm sorry—were you expecting sex?" she blinked innocently as all her motions ceased.

"You're so gonna pay for that," he growled, flipping them over and making her giggle furiously.

"Trist_an_," she sunk her nails into his upper back as she sank into the mattress, letting the feeling of his lips against her skin carry her away from issues with children and parents and being away from what she considered home. She was home, as long as he was there.

Well, she was almost home when a knock came to the door. "Guys?"

"Are you sure he's mine?" he breathed in her ear. "No child of mine would have this bad of timing," he managed.

Rory whimpered, but tried to collect her wits, along with her words. "What?" she yelled back, her hand on Tristan's chest and her eyes closed.

"Um, not to interrupt, but should we be concerned that Gramma is downstairs eating frosting out of a can, using a pretzel stick as a spoon, and playing Cyndi Lauper?"

"Which song?" Rory called out.

"_Time After Time_. On repeat," he added with repugnance.

"I'll be right there," she consented.

"Actually—are you dressed?" he checked.

Rory shot Tristan a look.

"What? That question is totally your fault," he whispered.

"I didn't know the kids had come home for a half day!" she whispered back as she moved to grab her robe. "No way would I have let you chase me down the stairs naked if I thought the kids were home!"

He shrugged. "I'm just saying. The need for therapy is already present."

"Come in," Rory called out. "We're dressed."

Jake opened the door and made a face. "Robes aren't clothes," he protested.

"What do you need?" Tristan sighed.

"I just got off the phone with Ambrose," he came further into the room.

"How's Jess?" Rory asked.

"Still sick," he informed. "Evidently there's a lot of drama there this weekend. Liz is in town," he rolled his eyes.

"Poor Jess," Rory stuck out her bottom lip.

"Evidently there's some crap with Jules, and then they aren't allowed to mention the baby to Liz," he shook his head. "He sounded like he needed a breather."

"You want him to come down soon? 'Cause Will is coming to get Mom, we'll have plenty of room," she offered.

"Actually, we were thinking more of me going up there, and us heading up to visit Ella. She mentioned she wanted a box of books and CDs and stuff, and more of her fall clothes, I could take it up," he offered.

Rory looked to Tristan and then back at Jake. "Don't you have a game?"

Jake shook his head. "Not next weekend. We have a week off."

"You must really miss Am, huh?" Rory sympathized.

"So, can I go?" he asked, ignoring his mother's emotional probing.

"I don't see why not, we always love having the house to ourselves," Tristan shrugged.

"Please don't expand upon that," Jake pleaded. "Now, if you want to stop the assault on my ears that is Gramma's music, I'd be thrilled."

Rory sighed and moved to walk out with her son. "I can promise a track change, but not a disc change. How do you feel about _When You Were Mine_?"

Jake groaned as they disappeared out of Tristan's view and down the hallway. Sighing, he flopped back in bed and used her pillow as a replacement for her and fell back to sleep.


	58. Chapter 58

AN: The good news is I got another chapter done, and I got all the parts I wanted in. The maybe not so good news is that it's really, really long. Take heart. Read on. Thanks to K for looking it over, bit by bit. and for all the delicious brainstorming. ames

"Where have you been?" Rory Dugrey crossed her arms over her chest as she marched out to the street. Will's car had just pulled to a stop, and the driver's side door expelled her brother.

"Well, when you move to what was once a separate country, it takes longer to execute any plan," he said without any sense of sarcasm.

"But I talked to you over twelve hours ago--," she cut off as the passenger side opened and her father stepped out. "Dad?" her eyes got huge as he stepped forward to hug her.

"Hey, kiddo," he said softly. "How is she?"

"She's stable; but she's driving Jake batty with her mope music."

"Lauper?" he asked knowingly.

"She's moved onto Benetar," she informed him.

"Ouch. Looks like we got here just in time," he said.

"Wait—you're the plan?"

"Plan?" Chris asked.

"This is the segue to the plan," Will explained.

"So, what's the plan?" Rory demanded.

Will hesitated, and she shook her head. "No, you have to have a plan. If you don't have a plan, she will eviscerate you," she warned him. "She can take down anything in her path right now. I've been with her non-stop this whole time, and she's in a bad state."

"Guess you should let the professional handle this then. Where is she?" Chris rubbed her shoulder.

"Living room," Rory instructed, patting his arm. "Oh, and if you see Tristan, tell him now would be a good time to take Jake to shoot hoops or something."

"Can I go?" Will asked.

"No way, Buster, I need to hear about this plan of yours," she pointed to her porch steps as Chris went into the house. "Talk."

Will sighed. "It's a long story."

"I have a feeling we have some time."

"And it won't work unless Chris can talk her into going home."

"I was impressed that you played that card. I can only imagine the general opinion you must have of Dad," she sat shoulder-to-shoulder with him, squinting as she looked to him and into the sun.

"You haven't always had the highest regards for him either," he leaned his head against hers for a moment. "It's hard to have respect for a guy that would ever hurt you or Mom."

"It's complicated with Dad. I mean, the bottom line is, he's my dad, and I love him. And Mom, she can't help it, I don't think. I used to wonder why they weren't together if they both loved each other so much."

"Why do you think it is?"

She smiled sadly. "They grew up together. Them loving each other is so ingrained that no fight, no matter how bad it is or how much they hurt each other, can undo what they've built."

He sighed. "Makes sense I guess. Kinda like me and Anna."

"Exactly. And, Mom and Luke. No matter who came before them, they belong together. I am a little curious as to why you think Dad can make her see that, though," she frowned.

"You remember when Ella and Jake had the chicken pox?"

"Um, yeah?" she asked, unsure as to the point of his tangent.

"And Mom wanted to come down to help, but she couldn't after she got thrown off the horse at the Inn and twisted her ankle?"

"Oh yeah. Luke came down instead to help take care of the kids for a couple of days."

"And before he left, he called Chris to come down and help Mom out around the house."

"He did? I assumed Mom called him after Luke left," Rory admitted.

"I was like, eight, and even then I noticed that she was so relieved to have him around."

"Funny. I never realized it, but I grew up worried they'd never get together, and you grew up worried they might," she put her arm around his shoulders.

"How old were you when you stopped wishing?"

Rory thought for a moment. "Too old."

He nodded. "So, before I tell you my plan, I kind of have a confession to make."

"Ooh, confessions," she got animated at the notion.

Will leaned over so he could put his hand into his right jeans pocket to retrieve something. He pulled out a ring and slipped it onto his left ring finger. He held up his hand and turned first his palm then the back of his hand to face her.

She stood up and grabbed his hand, hard. "Tell me this is a joke."

He shook his head. "No joke. We did it last week," he began, taking a breath of courage.

"No. No, no, no! You are a Yale-educated man. You are smarter than this!"

"Rory, calm down," he looked back to the front door, hoping her walls were made of sound-proof steel.

"What would possess you to do this? I assume no one knows, with the pulling it out of your pocket, unless you were planning on picking up chicks at the local roadhouse," she spit out.

"Dave knows," he didn't meet her eyes. "And it's okay, we aren't planning on telling anyone else. That's part of the plan."

Rory groaned. "Oh my God. You really do have Gilmore blood."

"What does that mean?"

"It means I don't need to hear any more of the 'plan.' It isn't going to work."

"Don't use air-quotes at me! It's a brilliant plan!"

"Will, this is me. I've been a part of this family longer than you. I've tried to teach you all the proper means of self preservation, but clearly I didn't warn you that surprise weddings are grounds for decapitation and other forms of severe dismemberment."

"I'm telling you, no one has to know we got married."

"Will, come on. When has Lorelai ever not found out anything we tried to hide from her? She has a nose for omissions."

"But she's distracted by her own drama. And the solution for not telling her about me and Anna is the same solution for no one else finding out about her and Dad not being married, you know, officially."

"Oh, this is gonna be good," she put a hand on her hip.

"A double wedding. We renew our vows and they get married, only we advertise the exact opposite to the general public. Stars Hollow can go nuts and under the guise of normalcy and with no one missing any limbs. Except maybe Kirk."

"I need to sit down."

He scooted over to make room for her to fall backward next to him. "It's the perfect plan."

"Do you know how much this is going to take to pull off?" she cried out.

"That's why I'm telling you. We're gonna need your help. And Dave's. And Mom to come home," he finished.

"Oh no. I don't even want to know about this," she shook her head. "You're not dragging me down with you—they're all still sore with me for moving down here!"

"No one's mad at you, and just listen, this can totally work. We realized when we heard about Mom and Dad that we have to share this with the family. We can help mend the situation. But only if we live long enough to. You have to help us."

Rory looked at her brother for a long beat. "I hate you," she informed him.

"I know."

"But I'm also really happy for you," she said with some level of distaste. He knew it was killing her.

"Thanks," he bumped her shoulder with his.

"What do you want me to do?" she groaned.

XXXX

"You always did have the opinion that misery loves company," Chris said as he leaned back against his daughter's front door, watching the mother of his first child put potato chips under the bread of her sandwich.

Lorelai looked up in surprise. "Chris?"

"Can't you at least update your musical melancholy? I hear they never stop writing sappy love songs."

"I'm sorry, why are you here?"

"If you're hard pressed, try Country stations. You can hit a bump in your car and get another Country station in this neck of the woods."

"I see you're picking up the colloquialisms."

"I always was a fast study. Have to get up pretty early in the morning to box with you," he chided her.

"I'm sorry, where are my manners—would you like a peanut butter and marshmallow sandwich? I have plenty," she smirked at him.

"If only you'd used Doritos instead of Ruffles," he made a face. "So, Benetar and Fluffer Nutters with Ridges. Is it really the end of the world?"

"I wanted crunchy peanut butter, but they only had creamy."

"Who, Rory and Tristan?"

"No, the all-night food mart."

"Ah," he nodded. "Wanna talk about it?"

"Did you come here to gloat?" she asked, putting her sandwich down. "Wait—did Rory call you?"

"No," he drew in a breath. "Will came to get me."

"Will?"

"Yes, Will. Your son, blue eyes, 'bout this tall," he raised his hand up in the air.

"I know who Will is," she rolled her eyes. "I'm in pain, I haven't lost my memory."

"So, you do remember that there are people in Connecticut that are worried about you and want you to come home?"

"Not you too!" she cried out. "Chris, if you came here to get me to go back, you've wasted a trip."

"Lore, come on. I know what happened," he told her, as if she hadn't already assumed. "And it sucks, big time sucks, but it's not the end of the world."

"Have you ever had a marriage voided?" she turned it on him.

"I've had a divorce," he got defensive. "And trust me, having someone not love you anymore is way more hurtful than a glitch in the paperwork. You've gotten to spend a lifetime with a man you love, who still loves you!"

"If he loved me, he would have told me the truth right away," she yelled back.

"Do you think it's easy, letting you down?" he got in her face.

"What?"

"You have these expectations," he began. "Where love exists in this winter wonderland of snow and forevers that last only until a person makes one little mistake."

She let out a noise of exasperation. "Little mistakes?"

"Fine, potentially huge mistakes, but you put up this wall, Lorelai, and you make a guy climb Everest before you take one brick away," he cried out.

"I'm sorry, is this about Luke, or about you?"

"This is me trying to make sure you don't throw away happiness. You deserve to let yourself be happy."

"What do you care? I thought you hated Luke," she crossed her arms.

"I would have hated anyone that made you happier than you were with me," he admitted.

"So, what's changed?"

"I finally got it," he said softly. "I saw you guys with Will, at one of Emily Gilmore's famous Christmas parties. I think he was all of three, and you looked so… complete."

She shrugged. "It takes a part of you, too, you know," she admitted.

"Yeah, but you said yourself, you got the best of me a long time ago. And we're standing in her house."

"I used to say a lot of things," she looked down.

"I needed to hear all of them. And you need to hear this. Go home. Talk to Luke."

"What do I say?"

"You don't have to say anything," he moved to put one arm around her supportively. "Sometimes you just have to be there."

She sniffed and turned toward him, clutching his shirt as she let herself cry. He wrapped his arms around her and let her get it all out, knowing he'd pressed her enough.

"What if he doesn't want to?"

"Doesn't want to what?" he asked, not understanding.

"Do it again, get married," she clarified, letting her real fear out.

"Then I look great in a tux," he teased.

"Chris, I'm serious," she glared.

"Then he is a bastard that doesn't deserve you, and you'll have plenty of people around you to support you. But, as much as I hate to admit it, I'm pretty sure he just wants you to come home."

She wiped the few remaining tears away and nodded.

XXXX

"How's my kid?" Liz asked, bringing in chicken soup to sit on the nightstand.

Jess was sitting up in bed, not able to sleep much after Gwen and Jules left his room. He had never been a fan of punishing his children—remembering only too well the ineffective laws that had been laid on him in his teenage years. It was one kind of fear, the familiar, haunting kind, for his son to stay out past curfew and start to rebel; it was a whole other, more gripping kind when his daughter did it. Not that she was a mystery to him. He had been a huge part of raising his children, and for years he could honestly say he was the person in the world that knew that girl the best, inside and out. He knew every fear, every triumph, every trial, and every imaginary friend.

He didn't know the exact moment that she stopped announcing every last thought she had, but clearly he wasn't her go-to guy anymore. He hated the idea of getting better before scaring this boyfriend into obeying the rules of his house. It was evident that the first meeting hadn't been enough.

He nearly picked up the phone to call Luke when his mother had come in. "Can you sit a sec?" he asked.

"Sure," she said, smiling as she sat gingerly on the edge of his bed. "Feeling better?"

"Yeah, I love grounding my kid. Gives me that warm fuzzy feeling, well, you remember."

"Don't you think you were a little harsh on her?" Liz frowned. "She's a kid, they do stupid things like that all the time," she advised.

"Not mine," he snapped. "I know it's a concept, but we have rules in this house. Ones that ensure I know my kids are okay. And I would appreciate it if you wouldn't overrule my judgments."

"I was here, Jess! I saw she was fine, and she seemed so concerned about not getting to see her boyfriend, he seems like a great kid," she shrugged.

"You gonna have that opinion if he gets her knocked up?" Jess asked.

"Jules is smarter than that," Liz chastised.

"Jules is smart, yes, but it doesn't take smarts to keep you from getting pregnant, it takes abstinence, which is something no one in this family seems to have a handle on," he sighed.

"What's that supposed to mean?" she asked, clearly insulted.

"Mom, look. I don't ask much from you."

"I know," she said in a hurt tone.

"And I know the kids love to see you," he added to cushion.

"I'd do anything for them."

"Sometimes doing the right thing for them isn't letting them off the hook. I'm going for consistency, here, okay? You have to tell me things, especially when I've got the flu or a broken foot from kicking the shit out of the creep that's trying to get in my daughter's pants," he proffered.

"They're just kids," she smiled at his attempt for humor.

"And I'd like to keep it that way. We're clear?"

Liz nodded. "I didn't mean to get her in more trouble."

"Don't worry. Her lawyer got her time off for promised good behavior," he groaned.

"Lawyer?"

"Gwen. She's the human rights advocate around here," he raised an eyebrow.

"So, you two are serious?" Liz probed.

"Mom, come on," he shifted down so he could lie back against the pillows.

"I'm still your mother—you never tell me anything!"

"Yes, we're serious. I wouldn't have her move in here with the kids if we weren't."

"Is that a blow against me?"

He closed his eyes for a moment. "No. It's just something I promised myself I'd never do."

She nodded. "I'm sorry. I know all that was hard on you."

He shrugged. "'s okay."

"No, it's not. I messed you up."

"I turned out okay, don't you think?"

She nodded and brushed his hair off his forehead. "Better than okay. I like her, you know."

He smiled. "Me too."

"But," she leaned in conspiratorially. "I have something to tell you."

"Okay," he said with trepidation.

"I think she might be pregnant," she advised.

Jess froze. "What?"

"It's just like how I was with you—she's in the bathroom every ten minutes, and she ran out of the room when Ambrose made that liverwurst sandwich with onions."

"To be fair, I run out of the room when he makes that sandwich, too," Jess frowned.

"And she's got that… glow," Liz sighed happily.

"Liz, look," he breathed in deeply. "She and I… we're," he tried.

Ambrose showed up in the doorframe and rolled his eyes. "Just tell her, already, will you?"

Jess glared. "We're… pregnant."

"Oh, that's great!" Liz gushed, hugging Jess hard.

"Ouch, sick, stop," he groaned. "Not healed!"

"Sorry, but oh, this is great! Have you told your uncle? I bet Lorelai is planning a great shower, OH!" she began.

Jess looked to Ambrose in an 'I told you so' way. Ambrose shrugged. "Can I go to New Haven next weekend?"

"What?" Jess shook his head. "I thought you said NYU, if anywhere. We haven't gotten to discuss this yet."

"Not to scout, just to visit friends, with Jake. He'd come by and get me on his way north."

Jess sighed. "I'll call Rory. Later."

"We have to call Luke!" Liz suggested.

"Luke knows," Jess admitted, easily switching gears back to his mother's fixation.

"Oh."

"I mean, we haven't announced it yet. We were gonna wait a few months, 'til things were really settled," he assured her.

"Right," she said quieter. "Well, still. I want to do something for you two."

"That's not necessary. We can handle this," he promised.

"Oh, let her buy baby things," Ambrose groaned.

"Oh, my head," Jess whimpered. "How about you take the kids to lunch?" he turned to Liz.

"What about Jules? She's grounded," Am piped up.

"Take her to that weird little Greek place uptown. That can be her punishment."

"But that place is great," his son laughed.

"They put feta cheese in everything, and it takes her an hour and a half to pick it all out, even after asking for no feta. Just, go, I need sleep," he whined.

"Come on, hon," Liz put her arm around her oldest grandchild. "Let's go get your sister. Should we invite Gwen?"

"Someone has to stay and take care of me," Jess grinned evilly from under the covers.

"That's Dad's way of saying he wants some time alone with his woman," Ambrose said as Jess threw a pillow their way, catching only the door as Ambrose shut it quickly behind them.

XXXX

"Grab that tray, no not that one, the one under the checkered cheesecloth!" Sookie instructed as her own hands were full of trays.

Davey looked at a myriad of checkered cheesecloth-covered trays. "Right, that one," he sighed.

"Don't disrespect your mother!" she kicked his shoe. "The one under the big salad."

"Why didn't you say that in the first place? And why isn't Lia helping you?"

"She's with your dad in the garden. She's taken an interest in food hybridization," Sookie replied with pride.

"Great, one of you gets a pupil," Dave teased.

"I think Billy will come around to my side."

"Billy can burn water," Dave scoffed.

"So can I," she smiled proudly. "It takes skill. Open the door," she instructed. "And don't mention Lorelai. Or your marriage. Or Kirk," she kept adding.

"So mentioning Lorelai dancing with Kirk at my wedding would be a bad opener?"

"We just want him to eat, and he won't eat if he's upset."

"I don't even understand how that happens. Their wedding was a town event. Everyone knew about it, how did that document get lost in the shuffle?"

"Well, word is that Taylor was having everything re-filed that month, so it would be cross referenced by name and year and mother's maiden name," Sookie shrugged. "Not that it got done, because they got to Miss Patty's files and by the time they got back through all her last names, they gave up on the maiden name system," she explained. "LUKE!" she called up at the house. "OPEN UP!"

"You think he's just gonna open the door? Mom, he's clearly upset and doesn't want to see anyone. Caesar's been the only one at the diner since Lorelai left, and Al's has been overrun with business."

"Yeah, until he switches from Thailand to Uzbekistan or something," she advised. "Besides, she'll come home, Will's plan will work, and everything will be back to normal."

"Wait, you know about Will's plan?" Dave's heart sped up.

"Anna explained it—when they get married, so will Luke and Lorelai. They're just gonna tell everyone it's a vow renewal. Pretty smart, huh?" she smiled.

His heart slowed at the fact that his mother had seemingly bought his sister's lie. "Yeah, pretty smart. Will always has been good at getting out of scrapes."

"I'm just so glad they decided on getting married sooner rather than later. Long engagements are fine for some people I guess, but with them, what's the point? I knew your sister was in love with Will when she was two, and she'd only take his hand to cross the street for the first time," Sookie remembered as she balanced her tray so she could ring the doorbell with her elbow.

"You say that now," Dave looked up to see if there was any sign of movement from within the house. "But how would you react if they'd gotten married really quickly?"

"Faster than in the next month? That'd be hard to do, since I need at least two weeks to plan and make the cake," she laughed at the very idea.

"What if they had just eloped or something?" he treaded dangerously close to the truth—so close that if she'd been there, his sister would be slitting him from stem to stern.

Sookie giggled. "Like they'd be dumb enough to do something like that," she dismissed. "LUKE! TIME'S A-WASTING!"

"Maybe he's not home," Dave sighed from under the weight of the trays he was carrying.

"Babette has been on emergency flee watch since Lorelai left; she would have paged me," she informed him.

"Paged you?"

"The town has had an emergency contingency plan in place since news of them getting together broke," Sookie explained.

"What? Why?"

"Well, you have to understand that it was eight years of watching them flounder in other relationships, and they were two main business owners in the town, and while Lorelai was more social and beloved, Luke was a mainstay in town. He feed nearly everyone, and people looked out for him in their own ways. Once they got together, Taylor was terrified that they'd behave like they had in prior relationships, and it would take the town down. He had charts and estimations of the decrease in property values," she shuddered. "We were right on the dividing line, and as Lorelai's best friend, I took the pager," she finished.

"My head hurts. They're just people," Dave shook his head.

"Nothing is simple in this town," she sighed. "Maybe the pager isn't working," she frowned and tried to move so that she could remain balanced with trays and dig for the pager. She was about to lose her grip when the door opened to reveal an unshaven, slightly pale, and sweat pant-wearing Luke.

"What?" he growled.

"We brought you food, you know, while Lorelai's, um, visiting Rory," Sookie said nervously, bustling through the front door.

"I don't need food, Sookie," he said without her seeming to hear him.

"You aren't really planning on arguing with her, are you? 'Cause we have a Suburban filled with things I think only you will eat," Dave informed him.

"I appreciate what you're trying to do," Luke said to the blur of red hair that was heading back for more.

"Good, then you won't insult me by not eating," she said a moment later as she held what looked like a pot of soup. "You want to set it up in the kitchen, or something more informal—the living room, or maybe in front of the TV in the bedroom? I know Lorelai likes to stay in bed in times like this," she said without thinking.

The pained look on his face put her into back-pedal mode. "I just mean, you have the house to yourself for a brief time, you should relax and live by your own rules!"

"Have you heard from her?" he asked, a little hoarse.

"Oh, um, you know," she cringed. "No need for her to contact me when she'll only be gone a short time."

He nodded, taking her avoidance as an answer. Sookie pulled Dave out to get more food. "Help me," she egged him.

"How?" he cried.

"Say something! Anything! Didn't you learn any techniques at that marriage seminar you went to?"

"Mom, it was for couples, besides, I have a feeling if I instruct Luke on the usage of 'I feel' versus 'you did' statements, he'd break me in half," he looked back at the open door.

"Just talk to him, man-to-man, while I finish setting up the food. I need to get some of this in the fridge and write out reheating directions. Who knows when Lorelai will be back, and besides, hopefully when she does come back they'll be too busy making up for him to have time to cook anyhow," she thought positively.

"Okay, ew," he handed his mother more trays and took the rest of it in his arms. "I'm no longer listening to you. I'm just carrying the trays, then I'm getting out of here."

"Can't you just do some male bonding? We need to stall here," she whined.

"Male bonding with Luke? What do you want me to do, put on flannel and drink beer while sitting on a lake for an ungodly length of time? Can't you just call Aunt Lorelai?"

"I have the pager! I don't have time to call Lorelai!"

"FINE!" he gruffed as he moved back up the stairs. He put the food down in the kitchen and came back out into the living room where Luke was watching the unwanted food come into his house.

"So, hope you're hungry. Mom went nuts. I'd be on the lookout for Anna later, she might be bearing baked goods," he advised.

"Check the pantry. She's been here, talking about the healing power of pie and how as soon as Lorelai gets back in town, she and Will want to get their wedding planned," he sighed.

"So, soon, then," Dave nodded.

Luke looked up at him, clearly pained.

"You know, we all went to that marital counseling, and they were talking about how taking some time apart can be good for couples sometimes. You know, enrich yourself in your own interests. For instance, Mal goes off with her best friends for the weekend, and I spend a couple of days playing ball with the guys and scrapbooking."

Luke's expression was a cross between horror and the desire to disappear from his own home.

"You know, you could go fishing, while Lorelai is down visiting Rory," he cleared his throat.

"You boys having a nice little chat?" Sookie came into put her arm around her son's shoulders.

"If you mean nice as in terrifying me to the core of my being, sure," Luke nodded as the phone rang. "Uh, I should uh, get that," he lunged for the phone, not caring if it were Kirk or a telemarketer trying to sell him a lifetime subscription of tongue-depressors.

"Luke?"

"Jess?" he looked up to Sookie with relief.

"What the hell is going on?" Jess asked.

"Oh, hang on," he looked to them again. "If you don't mind, I need to take this," he begged off.

"Sure, sure. Call, if you need anything. Not that you need anything. But you know, should you want to talk or need more Hollandaise," she backed toward the door slowly.

"Sure, sure, thanks, Sookie," he said as they left the house officially.

"Well, that went well," Sookie said as they climbed back into the Suburban.

"I can never look Luke in the eye again," Dave put his head against the dashboard.

"Like father, like son," Sookie sighed as she started up the engine and headed back toward her home.

XXXX

"But, why were you doing yoga?" Chris asked, still unable to get the visual image in his head.

Lorelai rolled her eyes. "To find my inner voice, or something like that," she mumbled.

Chris grinned. "It's because someone told you that you couldn't do it, isn't it?"

"No!" she lied.

"Please, Mom," Rory stuck her fork in her mashed potatoes. "One of the blonde moms made some weird crack about how much happier her husband was since she started taking yoga, and next thing I knew, Sookie was coming to pick me up from school so we could go visit you in the hospital. That's the week I learned how to spell 'traction,'" she smiled.

"You wanted to make her husband happy, too?" Chris mocked.

"I couldn't let one of the Pod-Moms beat me! They were so snotty," she huffed.

"I still can't believe you broke your leg, it's not like you're inflexible, in fact, you're probably the most flexible woman I ever," he got cut off by Rory's noises of possible choking. Tristan was patting her back and handing her water, and Jake just shook his head.

"Now you know what it's like," Jake muttered at his mother.

"Oh, trust me, Mom's been a wealth of sexual innuendoes that do her children much emotional trauma for years," Will advised his nephew.

"It was a matter of balance, not flexibility. At least I didn't break a bone letting some punk drive my car while I distracted him into a bench," Lorelai shot at her still-recovering daughter.

"Mom, geez," Jake groaned as Will chuckled.

"I told you, I didn't distract Jess! An animal ran out into the road!"

"Your very presence distracted Jess. He was like a helpless, rude little puppy," Lorelai remembered.

"She's talking about Uncle Jess?" Jake choked out.

"You see, before your mother met me, she was busy charming boys into building her cars and making them crash said piles of crap," Tristan laughed at the look his wife was caught in with his son.

Rory blinked at turned on her husband. "I didn't make anyone do anything!" she yelped.

"Yeah, because girls never make guys do anything," Jake snorted.

"Warning, warning," Will whispered.

"What do you know about girls making guys do things?" Rory arched a brow at him.

"Um, from watching Ella?" he guessed.

"Ignore her—and ignore any woman who thinks she can get you to say yes just by twirling her hair around her finger and batting her eyelashes," Tristan advised his son.

Chris looked to Lorelai, who gave an unconscious hair flip. He cleared his throat. "Or flipping their hair. I could have stayed out of so much trouble if I had been immune to that," he grinned.

"What about you?" Jake poised the question to Will.

"Me? Please, I grew up with these two. I'm impervious," he boasted.

"Yeah, you've NEVER gotten that glazed look and acquiesced when Anna bites the right side of her lower lip and looks up at you like you're He-Man," Rory snorted.

Lorelai giggled, "Sorry, Hun, but it is true."

"Yeah, well, she doesn't manipulate me or try to change me. She says she loves me just as I am," he said proudly, to which Chris and Tristan scoffed.

"Yeah, even I know that's a load of crap," Jake said, taking a swig of soda from his glass.

"Just wait 'til you get married, man, you'll figure out her secret plot. You may even find little checklists she hides around the house, so you can witness how far you've fallen," Tristan nudged his wife as he told Will.

Rory and Will shared a look of panic quickly, not unnoticed by Tristan. He put his hand on his wife's thigh, and she quickly put her hand over his.

"I don't have secret checklists," she laughed nervously. "So, Will, you said you and Anna were ready to start planning the wedding soon, right?" her voice turned upbeat and cheerful suddenly.

"Soon, really?" Lorelai looked hopeful. "That's great!"

Will nodded. "We're anxious to get started. That's what we were gonna tell you, when we got home from the retreat," he cleared his throat.

"Isn't that great, Mom?" Rory backed her brother.

"It really is. It'll be nice to have something so positive to focus on," Lorelai looked down at her mostly empty plate.

"So, Jake, how is your new school?" Chris piped up, wanting to take the heat off of Lorelai.

"Uh, it's good, Grandpa," Jake spoke up. "I'm getting to know a lot of the guys on the team, they're pretty cool," he added.

"Any girls?" Chris smiled knowingly.

"Maybe," he shrugged. "Mainly just cheerleaders," he couldn't quite contain his smile.

Tristan smiled like a proud papa, until Rory's glaring gaze sliced into him. He turned a bit in his seat to escape the lasers that were shooting through him.

"What? If there were no cheerleaders, how would they know when to get the ball, get, get the ball?" Tristan mimicked.

"Can't you meet a nice girl in the library?" Rory offered.

"It's normal for a young man to go through a cheerleader phase," Chris tried to soothe his daughter.

She made a face of disgust. "Yes, and I was hoping this apple would fall a little further from that tree," she poked her husband.

"Hey, we all grew out of it and found our oh-so-not peppy women," Will smirked, being guilty as well, as Bree had cheered for Stars Hollow High.

"And thank goodness for that," Tristan chortled.

"Besides, can you see Dad with one of those peppy, always up women?" Will shuddered.

"Actually, I can see Rachel as a cheerleader," Lorelai remembered.

"Mom, please. Luke didn't want to be with her, she didn't want any of the same things he did. That was always you," Rory soothed.

"Yeah," she nodded and smiled tightly.

"Maybe we should get the check and get headed toward home," Will announced, causing everyone to start to stir, heading to the bathroom and gathering belongings.

Rory and Lorelai found themselves hugging with all their might outside of Will's car in the parking lot in the blink of an eye.

"I'm sorry that you came down under duress, but I'm glad you came," Rory sniffed.

"Me too," she hugged back harder.

"If you need anything, just call me," Rory offered.

"I will. I'll be fine, though."

"Besides, you'll hardly have time to miss her, what with us coming up this weekend and all," Tristan said from behind them. Rory pulled back to give him a grateful smile.

"Really?" she asked.

He nodded. "I think we could use a taste of home," he said as Lorelai moved to hug him, taking him by surprise.

"Thank you," she whispered.

Tristan found himself face to face with Chris when Lorelai let him go.

"Uh," Tristan uttered.

"Yeah, I'm not quite as fond of you as she is," he offered his hand, which Tristan nodded and accepted. Chris smiled at him good-naturedly and turned to hug his grandson.

"I think Jess will be relieved to see us picking Ambrose up, anyhow. He said something about him getting too cozy at Yale," Rory commented.

"Wait—you're driving us?" Jake groaned.

"Yes, Cheerleader Slayer, your dorky parents are driving you. Be nice, or I'll wear bright red lipstick and kiss you in front of the general public when we drop you off."

"Why couldn't I have been born to a normal family?" he wondered aloud.

"What kinda' fun would that have been?" Lorelai asked, from her seat in the passenger side of her son's car.

XXXX

Rosa came out of her room, completely ready for the small venue rock concert they were in store for. She turned to adjust a hair clip in the main room's mirror and faced back toward Ella.

"Well?"

"Scouting for someone to go home with tonight? 'Cause seriously, in that outfit, shouldn't be a problem," Ella approved.

"Please, I just like to look my best when I leave the house," she couldn't help but think of the offer that she received in the form of an after-concert visit from a certain towheaded boy, and the appropriate smile passed over her features.

"What?" Ella asked, holding her wrist.

"Nothing," she shook her head slightly. "What is going on with you?" she turned it on her.

"Me? I'm not the one all day-dreamy and spacey," Ella fluttered her hands.

"No, but you won't say a word as to why Grey left here all weird and listless," she pointed out.

"I told you, I don't know. I came home, and he was waiting on you. Something about you and Pax," she eyed her carefully.

Rosa groaned. "I told you, he just came over to apologize. Then he left. It's not my fault my brother slept on our couch."

"So, he slept wrong and that's why he was acting funny. I don't know," Ella moved to get a bottle of water and was careful not to mess up her lipstick as she drank.

"It takes a lot to weird Grey out. Trust me, I have made a sport of it," she confessed. "Whatever you did, either tell me so I can use it for future use or get him the proper medication," she put one hand on her hip.

"Maybe he just has a lot on his mind," Ella offered. "A lot of things he had to do, or errands he had to run," she let her mind slip, wondering if Grey really could be her secret admirer. As much as her instincts were to talk to Rosa about the whole situation, she just couldn't look her friend in the face and tell her about her near kiss with this girl's brother. That broke the friend code, in a multitude of ways, and was in general creepy.

"Maybe," she narrowed her eyes, waiting a moment for Ella to get out any last-minute confessions. She opened the front door to find a small balloon bouquet tied to their door handle.

"And he strikes again," she said, causing Ella to come over to check it out.

Her first thought was an account of the only suspects in her head. Pax, she was almost sure, wasn't the culprit or interested in her side of the suite anymore. Jasper was out of town, out of state, even. Grey was most decidedly in town and his time unaccounted for. She took a sharp breath in, and could almost feel him so close to her as he was last night. Could it really be?

"What?" Rosa asked. "Do you know who it is based on this?"

"Um, no," she lied. "What's in that balloon?" she pointed to something that was rattling around inside one of the latex balloons.

"Here," Rosa took out a hair clip and popped the balloon, making both girls jump, and then laugh at themselves. "A key?" she held it up for inspection.

"There's something on the keychain," Ella looked at it for inspection.

"Handwriting? I have samples!" Rosa offered.

"Typed," she shook her head. "It's an address. And a date. Next week."

"Wow. He wants to meet you, thus ending the parade of gifts? Are you ready for that?"

Ella made a face. "It's not the gifts I'm concerned about," she replied honestly.

"You think it's a girl? Or that creepy guy that screams about the Bible and how we're all going to hell out on the main lawn?" she teased.

"No, it's just, if I meet him, I meet him. It's final."

"Afraid it isn't who you want it to be?" she asked gently.

"I know it's stupid," Ella shrugged. "And it's sweet of whoever it might be, I know I don't have to marry the secret admirer, but what if… it's not?"

Rosa looked at her friend. "Who do you want it to be?" she asked, sure she knew the answer, but wanting her friend to admit it in waking hours and to her face.

"It might not matter," she said, trying to put on a brave face. "It could be some random guy."

"So, you gonna meet him?"

Ella nodded. "To say thanks, if nothing else."

"What if it is the man of your dreams?" she nudged.

Ella smiled. "I guess I'll cross that bridge when I get to it. Now, let's go party!"

XXXX

"I said, what is going on? Rory is calling and talking about Lorelai being down there, and you not being married? I know I've been a little incommunicado lately, but come on!"

"Isn't your mom up there this weekend?" Luke evaded.

"Luke! Are you married or not?"

"Not so much, no," he sighed.

"Why didn't you call me?"

"So you could go back in time and file the paperwork?"

"Sorry."

"It's okay," he said and there was a long pause. "I don't know if she's coming back."

"Of course she's coming back."

"You're on the side of true love and all things sappy now? It's a feeling in your gut?"

"Rory told me," Jess said succinctly.

"Of course."

"Something about Chris being there and her leaving today with him."

"Oh, swell," Luke gruffed. "I should have known that guy would sense this and swoop in. It's like he has radar on when she's gonna be at her most vulnerable, and now she's gonna see this as fortuitous timing," he closed his eyes.

"Will you stop? She said that he was talking sense into her; and it was Will that brought Chris down."

"Since when do you trust Chris?"

"I trust Rory. She wouldn't let anything like that happen."

"I should go," he said quickly.

"No. Stop. Lorelai loves you, she's coming home. Rory said it, and Rory doesn't lie. Especially about this. She had to know I'd get right on the phone to you. Just let her come home on her own time. If she needs to see Chris, let her do what she needs to do. You trust her, right?"

Luke thought a moment, seeing the time before she had promised herself to him, the time before they shared a life, a child; he saw the havoc that had been wreaked by this other man. He tried to focus on the years they spent happily, out of the shadow of both of their pasts.

"Right," he said finally.

XXXX

Jasper sat, turning the single rose in the vase in the middle of the table that served as the pitiful excuse for a center piece that his mother had ranted about until dinner was finally served. The cake had not yet been cut, but open dancing had begun quite some time ago, and he'd had no desire to spin any of his more elderly female relatives around the smallish dance floor.

He was ready to get the cake, listen to how his mother knew of a much better bakery in town, and get out of this place. He looked at his watch that his father gave him for high school graduation and sighed. At least two more hours to go.

He looked up to see his parents eying the punch table, as they'd been on the floor too long for his mother's tastes, having had her toes stepped on one too many times, despite his father's excellent dancing prowess. The last song had just ended, and he was sure he was about to be joined by at least two more members of his assigned table, which didn't include his mother's cousin, since she'd swapped out the place cards before the reception began. But then, just as Katherine Wellington reached the edge of the dance floor a very familiar tune filled the air, and she easily let her husband twirl her back into his arms and pull her close to sway and hum in her ear.

_Moon River_ got her every time.

It didn't matter that she had been frustrated all weekend by her family and all the in-fighting that occurred when they joined together to 'celebrate' major milestones. It didn't matter that his father's instinct was to stay one town over and only let her have an hour's contact max with most of the people in attendance before trying to save her sanity. Suddenly, they were the only two people in the room and just happy to be together.

He sighed. He knew it was possible, he knew it's what he wanted. He wanted to get over himself, get over all the other stuff that didn't matter and just grab the girl he wanted and hold her tight as some sappy song swelled in the background.

He put his head down on his arms and let out a deep breath.

"They do like that song, don't they?" his grandmother said as she sat down next to him.

He looked up and smiled. "They do."

"You're not enjoying the party?"

"It's not bad," he shrugged.

"It would have been nicer at Skytop," she scoffed. "But would they listen to me?" she held up her hands. "Of course, I hear that time was of the essence, and there is a waiting list that most engaged couples are happy to wait for at Skytop," she grinned evilly.

"Grandma," he admonished. "I think they think they're pulling it off."

"They're idiots. I lost out on my original bet—your mother took mine. I got stuck with a year."

He nodded. "She's usually dead on."

"Who do you think she gets it from?" she posed.

"I know," he assured her.

"You know what else she gets from me?" she asked.

"Her ability to let people have their time to think quietly?"

She made a noise of amusement. "What's wrong?"

He groaned. "Nothing."

"Liar. Try again."

"I'm just thinking about getting out of here a bit early."

"To get back to someone? Why didn't you just bring her along?"

He sat up straighter. "I wasn't sure she'd really want to come."

"Well, if we'd had it at Skytop, no doubt would she have accepted the offer," she smiled slyly.

"Grandma, let it go."

She shrugged. "So, you didn't ask. That doesn't sound like you."

"You mean the out-going guy that doesn't take no for an answer?"

She raised an eyebrow. "So if you know this, why isn't she here?"

"I forget, you've been exposing people you love to these events for years," he joked.

She smiled at him. "If we're really that bad, then you go to her. As long as you realize, I'm gonna have to meet her."

He smiled. "I know. And you'll like her."

She cringed. "She isn't Australian, is she?"

He frowned.

She held up her hands. "I love your father, I do, he's just… so colorful," she chose her words carefully around her grandson.

"It's the nails, isn't it?"

"Why doesn't he just wear lipstick and get it over with?" she cried out.

He laughed. "He did, once. Mom chased him down with make-up remover and he promised in blood never to do it again."

She shook her head and turned to look at the cake. "And we don't even have cake to look forward to."

The music swelled on as they sat there in a moment of silence. "Where's Grandpa?" he asked.

"He went to monitor your uncle. Evidently someone said something about Elizabeth's 'delicate' condition, and he started to flip out," she explained. "If you let them move in together, what do you expect?"

"You really think it's better to be surprised?" he asked rather boldly.

"I think the element of mystery is the best defense you have," she winked at him. "Look at them."

He did as instructed and sighed. "Yeah."

"Go on. I'll tell them you had a paper or something."

He smiled and hugged her. "You're the best."

"Just remember—I expect compensation."

He nodded. "Just—come to Yale for it? If I do get the girl, I don't want to scare her off before we give it a go."

She laughed as he kissed her cheek. "Go! Before the song ends and you miss your window. You know your mother hates to suffer alone."

He nodded and made his narrow escape, getting into his car for the long ride back to campus.


	59. Chapter 59

AN: So, hubby went away for the weekend, leaving me use of his computer! I got something done! I'll be getting my new computer in a few days, while on vacation, so don't look for anything from me in at least the next week and a half or so. Thanks for all your patience, with all my stories!

"Alright, spill," Tristan said as he shut their front door.

"Excuse me?" Rory smiled sweetly. "What are you talking about?"

"I saw that look you and Will shared when I said something about him waiting to get married. And by the way, you've never been good at the subtle segue," he crossed his arms.

"I'm a writer, I am excellent at shifting topics with ease," she protested.

"When writing about the ecological conditions in Belize, yes, but when you're keeping a secret from your family, you skip topics faster than a kid with ADD."

"You think I'm keeping secrets?" she walked toward the kitchen. "I'm hurt, I'm insulted, I am not even going to dignify that accusation with a response," she went to clean up the things her son had left out while making himself a post-lunch snack. "How does he eat so much now? I swear, two months ago he ate like a normal person, now he can put even Lorelai to shame," she said as she screwed the lid back on the mayonnaise jar.

Tristan leaned against the fridge, to stay in her direct path and blocking her way. "He's playing sports, and he's not quite reached the full Dugrey height. He's got about two inches to go," he said. "Now, back to how you're keeping secrets from me. When exactly did this start?"

"I'm not keeping anything from you. Everything in my life is an open book," she pushing him aside by poking him in the sensitive spot that hid just under his bottom rib.

"Then what did Will do?" he tried.

"What makes you think Will did something?" she moved to sponge up the crumbs that were scattered over the countertop.

"Because one of you is hiding something for the other one," he said matter-of-factly.

"You think you know me so well," she made a sound of amusement as the air left her mouth.

"Yeah, so?"

"So, you don't know everything about me."

"You're sure?" he nodded, watching as she ran water over the sponge to rinse it off.

"Yes, I think I know what you do and do not know about me."

"Okay," he nodded nonchalantly.

She turned after placing the sponge next to the faucet. "What?"

He smiled. "Nothing."

"Tristan."

"What? Does your not knowing what I'm up to bother you?"

"No," she lied, fidgeting with the dish towel. "What?"

"Nothing. I'm just standing here, watching you clean up after Jake like you always do."

"Are you trying to patronize me? Because that is so not going to work," she shook her head.

"Are you sure?" he tried to suppress the smirk, but was mostly ineffective.

She stuck her tongue out at him. "I'm sure. Your attempts are pitiful at best."

He took a step closer to her. "So, I don't know everything about you, and I'm not good at extracting information from you?" he clarified.

She narrowed her eyes at him. "That's right."

"Okay. Well, tell you what. When you get done here, you know, checking to make sure he put the turkey back in the meat drawer and that he closed the Ziploc seal on the cheese, then if you want to pretend that you're not hiding something from me, I'll just be in the den catching up on my email."

"I am not," she began, but heard the high pitch in her voice. She took a breath and met his gaze. "I am not going to check on the meat. I was just tidying up a bit, you know, Mom and I tend to make a messy trail when we have food binges."

He nodded. "You think she's gonna be okay?"

She shrugged. "I hope. She seemed more confident after she talked to Dad."

"Yeah. That surprised me too," he put his arm around her.

"I really thought Will had lost his mind, bringing him down like he did, but after he told me what his plan was," she stopped curtly.

"Plan?"

"Yeah, you know, getting Dad to talk sense into Mom," she lied.

"That was the plan?" he reiterated.

"Yep."

"The plan to get Luke and Lorelai back together was to get Chris involved?"

"Yes," she frowned.

"That's a sucky plan."

"But it worked. She's going home."

He nodded. "Right. Except that's not what you're hiding."

"What?"

"Chris isn't something you're hiding. He was here, for a while, and you shared that look of panic afterward. When discussing marriage," he concluded.

"It wasn't a look of panic," she said hurriedly.

"He didn't call off the engagement, did he?"

"Will is crazy about Anna. He would never call off the engagement," she rolled her eyes.

"Are we really married?" he asked in a low tone.

She smacked his chest. "Why would you even joke about that?"

"Well, it has to be you or him. Are you hiding something about our marriage?"

"No! Are you?"

"Me? Why would I be hiding something?"

"You're the one so obsessed with who's not telling whom what," she opted for the confusion route.

"What?"

"Exactly," she said, moving toward the hallway.

"Wait," he grabbed her arm.

"Tristan, please," she whimpered.

"Are you okay?"

"I'm fine," she promised.

"So, this is about Will."

She nodded and bit her lip.

"Something Will had to hide from Lorelai," he continued.

"That's right. I should go see if Jake needs another snack," she twisted to move from his hold on her.

"Which means he's trying not to upset her more, and it's so bad that he'd concocted a plan to cover up whatever he did," he was on the brink.

"Which means it's none of your business, and we don't have to discuss it anymore," she pleaded.

"Except that he dragged you into it, which means at some point you're going to drag me into it, and I'd like to be better prepared than a whispered explanation three seconds before I have to start lying my ass off," he pressed.

"Like I have ever done that to you," she scoffed.

"When Lorelai thought she was pregnant back when Will was about to start school and didn't want to tell Luke until she knew for sure?" he pointed out.

"That was different," she frowned.

"You pulled me into the women's bathroom and then tossed me back out to make small talk and distract him while she took the test."

"She was my age—can you imagine how hard it'd be to have a kid at our age?"

"Rory, just tell me."

"He's married."

"Luke?" he asked in a swirl of confusion.

She shook her head. "Will."

"Whoa."

She nodded.

"I so didn't want to know that."

"Me either! He slipped on the ring that he's hiding in his pants pocket, and I yelled at him!" she cried out, not caring that by itself what she'd just said didn't make any sense.

"Does he know that Lorelai held that pair of scissors to my head when I joked about us eloping?"

She nodded. "He knows the dangers, yes."

"And still he did it. He say why?"

"Something about being in love," she rolled her eyes.

"Like that's an excuse," he said as he pulled her close. "Why did he have to tell you?"

"He wants me to back him up, make Mom think it's a great idea for them to 'renew' their vows, when really they'll be getting married for the first time."

"I don't get it."

"Will and Anna are gonna renew their vows at the same time, pretending it's the first time."

"My head hurts," he complained.

"Do me a favor?"

"Sure."

"If our kids ever pull anything like this, take me to a deserted island with no phones."

"I don't think our kids will be pulling anything like this after they see their uncle crucified and stoned in the town square," he pointed out.

She put her cheek against his chest. "Does that mean you're not gonna help me out?"

"Oh no, I'll help you out however I can. But as good of a team as we make, he's toast."

"Yeah," she sighed, trying to go over ways it might work out in her head, but getting cut off with visions of her mother with a chainsaw chasing her brother down the street.

"Do we have any brownies left?" Jake came down and hung in the doorway. "What's wrong?" he asked as he saw his parent's contemplative faces.

"Nothing," they chimed in unison and fled the room, leaving him free to graze.

XXXX

"Homecoming Princess?" Will laughed, as his mother shot daggers at the backseat occupant.

"It could have been Queen, if she hadn't worn that Joan Jett tee shirt on the day of final voting. The scowl she wore that week didn't sell it either," Chris teased.

"You try being hopped up on baby hormones, tell me how smiley you are," she retorted. "They only voted me in because I was dating you, Mr. Popularity."

"I was popular only by association at that point. I was spending all my time helping you sneak out your bedroom window to escape the horrifyingly dull evenings with Yale undergrads and those awful Episcopalian ministers, remember?" he laughed.

"We're Episcopalian?" Will asked with thought.

"God, no," she replied quickly, and with a faint laugh. "My parents thought I was under the influence of the notorious Christopher Hayden and were sure I needed just an exorcism, surgery to repair my broken maidenhood, and a nice Yale man to restore my good standing," she scoffed.

"You were the notorious one," Chris pointed out.

"Exactly. You never would have had the balls to hang up all that women's underwear in the Drama teacher's classroom by yourself," she giggled.

"Do I want to know?" Will asked as he watched the road.

"I saw him at Club Tango one Saturday night in full drag," Lorelai grinned evilly.

"And you got into a club how?" Will asked in a fatherly tone.

"Don't pretend like you're so saintly, Mr. Clifford Hogan," she said.

"How did you…?" he turned to face her, a bit flushed.

"I don't know where you and Davey got those things, but they were not good," she laughed.

"Yeah, they didn't work either. Turned out the bouncer knew Sookie," he sighed. "Guess we should have gone further than Woodbridge."

"My offspring never were as good at getting into trouble as I was. Guess you needed a full dose of Richard and Emily's blood. They're too diluted by you and Luke," she said to Chris.

"I think we all rested easier knowing that," Chris added.

"I know I did," she nodded wholeheartedly. "It's weird though, I always waited for Rory to have her big flip out, you know, the rebellion," she sighed.

"Never happened," Chris nodded.

"Well, she did get very snotty when her first boyfriend broke up with her," she mused. "But I was waiting for full-on body defacement, shaven head, lesbian experimentation," she explained.

"Just so you know, I'm singing _Little Bunny Foo Foo_ in my head," Will announced.

"Maybe when she turns sixty, she'll get a Charles Manson tattoo and join a cult," Chris mused.

"Oh, or on her fiftieth birthday, she'll dump Tristan, buy a sports car, and get a boyfriend Jake's age," Lorelai giggled.

"'Scooping up the field mice, and bopping 'em on the head,'" Will sang softly.

"Oh, stop, honey, you can have your rebellion too. What would you like? Oh, you could become like a Taylor clone, become town magistrate, run the town meetings, get obsessive over grass height, wear a cardigan—that would send your father into anaphylactic shock."

"I think scaring Dad isn't the best thing right now," Will said quietly.

"Right," she quieted down, sending the car into a long moment of silence.

Will looked to his pensive mother and gave his best smile. "Besides, I'd much rather open a really gaudy B&B and invite you over to sing folk songs and collect honey," he ribbed.

"Evil!" she gasped.

"Face it, Lore, you raised two good eggs. Yale-educated eggs, if that isn't enough of a rebellion, I don't know what is. And Rory marrying Tristan," Chris piped up.

"Yeah. I really didn't see that one coming. After all those years of beating into her that trust funds and good breeding led to tears and destruction," she joked.

"It's not like you didn't give her enough proof," Chris soothed.

"Not that I don't like Tristan," Lorelai turned to face him. "And I know, deep, deep down, you like him too."

"Tristan is great," Will defended.

"Oh, honey, we know, it's just, Chris here was scarred. The first time he met Tristan," she bit her lip.

"They were living together, if I'd been thinking like a guy, not like a dad, that never would have happened," he defended.

"Chris here, thinking only of his darling daughter in pig tails and my tailored _Like A Virgin_ tee-shirt she used to wear as a floor-length dress, walked into my house to find them very horizontal in her old bedroom," she stifled a giggle.

"I like him now," Chris said, with a hint of prior distaste still in his mouth. "It's just hard to like a guy that has once stood with his back to you as you hear a zipper engaging, and when he turns around he reveals your kid with her shirt on inside out."

"He made an honest woman out of her," Lorelai frowned.

"Things I really, really didn't want to know about my sister," Will cringed.

"Oh, stop. We're all adults," Lorelai chided. "And you've met the fruits of their loins," she giggled.

"Yes, but this adult is about to pull off to the side of the road to vomit," he warned.

"Fine, fine. I'll change the subject. My wonderful, considerate son here has had the good taste to fall in love with my best friend's daughter," she informed Chris.

"I've heard of this Anna," he nodded.

"They're so cute. She would crawl over to him before she could even walk," Lorelai made cutesy, baby noises at her son.

"Okay, I think he gets it. We've known each other a long time," he shrugged her dancing fingers off.

"I really thought the dream had died, when you hit college and were still with Bree," Lorelai confided.

"Ex-girlfriend?" Chris asked, unknowingly.

"Satan-incarnate," Lorelai shot back.

"Mom," Will warned.

"He's too nice," she frowned.

"Mom," he said more sharply.

"Fine. Spawn of Satan?" she offered.

"She cheated on me."

"And only someone from the Underworld would cheat on one of my children. Unless they're just really, really dumb and think they can handle the fury that is known in some circles as the Wrath of the Gilmore."

"And you survived growing up with her?" Will looked in his rear-view mirror.

Chris chuckled. "I liked a good challenge. And it was never dull."

Will nodded. "Yup. Sounds like my childhood."

"Ohmygod," Lorelai said under her breath as Will had suddenly, or so it seemed, pulled into Stars Hollow town limits. "Home."

"Yeah," Will said softly. "I, uh, should take Chris home, or to a hotel, or whatever," he looked quickly to the rear-view. "You okay if I just drop you at the house?"

She nodded. "Yeah. That's best," she said bravely.

"We could drive around a bit, hit that bar in Woodbridge? I have a real ID, and my mommy with me, this time," he offered.

She smiled faintly. "No. It's time."

The two men shared a look and Will nodded, turning toward his childhood home. "You're the boss."

XXXX

She didn't know what to expect. His truck wasn't in the driveway, but half the time he left his truck outside the diner and walked over to get the exercise and enjoy the night air. Her Jeep sat parked where she'd left it, opting for a cab to the airport—the fastest route out of town and away from the shambles that were falling around her just hours ago… yet it seemed like years. Her house looked exactly the same, but somehow completely different.

Since the day Luke had moved in, it'd looked like _their_ house, and now it looked more like the house she'd bought and moved all of Rory's books into and conned repair men into fixing for half price by wearing her shortest skirt when they came to keep a roof over their heads or pipes under the floors in working condition.

Gathering her courage, she reminded that nagging voice in her head that it had been Luke that had been taking care of both her and this house for the last twenty years. She slipped her key out of her purse and unlocked the door.

Bert was lying in the hallway, with his lid open and random tools scattered around on the floor. She saw the fresh patch that was now covering where she'd lost her grip on the lamp she was carrying downstairs last month and it'd crashed into the wall, leaving a scar in the paint. Primer and the small can of paint he'd insisted they keep after the last fresh coat of paint, in case of emergencies, sat next to the runner table.

He thought of everything. He took care of everything. She stepped further into the house, to see food covering every single surface, all untouched and all the doing of the Melville family. She smiled sadly, and out of habit opened the bedroom door off to the side of the kitchen, where each of her children spent their formative years.

She saw the traces of her son's belongings that still remained. Small mementos of the past that littered his walls and bookshelves, everything in the places he left them, so ingrained in her mind that her eyes just did a quick scan, only stopping when something went horribly amiss.

There was the back end of a person sticking out of the wardrobe. A very familiar back end. She heard muttered grunts, echoed around his ears inside the wooden structure. Then he stiffened, his movements of repair halting in surprise. He'd heard her, she realized as his body remained stoic. Perhaps he hadn't heard her enter what some may call a shrine to what once was; her son's room left more or less just like he'd left it the day he moved to college. Right now it was a comfort she needed desperately, which is probably the main reason she'd found herself wandering in. But if he hadn't heard her at first, he did now, or in the very least he sensed her presence. She hoped it was more the latter. His body slowly slid back out of the wardrobe that had appeared to be consuming him, and sat back on his heels, gazing at her.

They looked at each other for what seemed like an eternity to her, her heart trying to pull itself out of her chest more with each moment that passed.

He spoke first.

"I, uh, didn't know when to, uh, expect," his eyes met hers, nailing down her heart, "you to be back."

She nodded, just not wanting to break down in tears just yet.

"I found a list you'd started," he shrugged, referring to all the home repair he'd engaged in.

"I was gearing up for my next birthday," she managed.

"Well, I found it and I had some extra time on my hands, so," he rocked back and stood up, so he could take a step closer to her.

"Luke, I," she found she still had no words. She heard Chris's sage advice echoing in her head, and took a step to match his. All she had to do was be there. She wanted to be closer.

"I'm glad you're home," he breathed as he stepped within touching distance of her. "You are home, right?"

She leaned all her weight up and into him, wrapping her arms around his mass and kissing him soundly.

She was home.

XXXX

Ella followed her shorter friend through the already gathered crow that was ready to fully experience Chaos. It seemed the whole of Yale had come out for the 'intimate' evening that the small venue promised of all its shows. But more than her concern for feeling like a sardine in a can, Ella couldn't help but wonder if an early meeting with her secret admirer was in store; if he'd be able to see her and speak without divulging his true identity to her.

She'd been giving the matter a lot of thought, more than she would admit, since the curveball of the true possibility that Greyson Langley might be the one sending her gifts and introducing so much intrigue and mystery into her life. She'd been so sure it was Jasper, which to her had been uncharacteristically sweet of him. Jasper was normally bold and unreserved—taking the indirect , shy route was endearing in a way that made her warm from her toes up her whole body, and she often found herself sitting in class or wherever she might find herself, thinking of the possibility that he was behind this master plot, grinning like an idiot. But, since the Pax blow-up, had he really shown expressed interest in dating her, if he wasn't the one sending the gifts?

Whoever was behind this _knew_ her. Her tastes, her needs, what stressed her out, and what made her smile. This guy more than knew her; he cared for her. More and more her confused thoughts turned to what she'd thought were platonic late-night study and various hang out sessions with Grey; how she'd grown accustomed to the time they spent together, and then inevitably her thoughts would drift to that moment in her suite when he'd leaned in… she couldn't help but wonder what might have happened if she hadn't stopped him. Or freaked out. Whatever. She still felt bad, but had no idea how to even broach the subject of an apology. _I'm sorry I tensed up and ran when you nearly kissed me _sounded so… insane. She was going insane.

"Earth to Ella… who are you thinking about naked?" Rosa teased her, waving her hand in front of her face.

"What? No one!" she pulled back, trying to banish the words _your brother_ from her mind.

"Okay, liar, I'm going to the bathroom. Can you guard our seats 'til I get back?"

Ella nodded and took her light jacket she'd brought along for the wee hours they expected to emerge into after the show. Rosa kept hold only of her purse and disappeared through the thick wall of people they were encased in. Ella put the extra belongings in the seat next to her and watched the stage hands set up.

If she hadn't put her phone on vibrate there was no way she would have heard the call. She was in a line longer than the one she was in at the Super Bowl, because evidently, as her Aunt Katherine explained to her that day, women would rather stand in line for food and bathrooms than watch the game live—without commercials and everything--because no one here wanted to risk missing any of the show. She dug her phone out of her little purse and looked at the display.

Her lips were upturned before she even heard his voice. "Hey, you," she greeted.

"Where are you? It sounds like you're at a party."

"Didn't I tell you? I had a date," she teased.

"Going for shortest relationship ever?"

She snickered. "I'm still allowed to date Ella, right? We really should have gone over the guidelines instead of making out," she tsked.

"That depends. Are you saving yourself for me, or does Ella have roaming hands?"

"You'd know better than me," she said without thinking, then cringed at both the thought and the silence on the other end of the line. "Pax," she began.

"Okay, I think that guideline chat will preempt our next make out session," he said diplomatically. "First is no throwing exes back in the other's face."

"Deal. And she's a perfectly lovely date. Keeps her hands to herself and all the boys hit on her, thereby making my time open to think about how dreamy you are," she covered.

"I think you pulled that one off by the skin of you teeth."

"Impressed, are you?"

"Very. Always," he added.

"Sweet boy. And you have impeccable timing, I'm in line for the bathroom, and I may be here 'til after the show ends."

"Long?"

"You'd think the band was in there offering themselves up for body shots," she sighed.

"And you're in line? I'm not sure I like the idea of this. Being ousted for a drunken pretty boy rocker?"

"What makes you think they'd want me? I'm putting off the 'taken' vibe, thank you very much."

"What are you wearing?"

"Pax!" she chastised. "Now is so not the time."

"Perv," he called back. "This is for research purposes."

"Guess," she teased.

"Well, you're in public and it's a concert, so I'm gonna guess that little denim mini skirt you love to torture boys with," his voice lowered, and she ran her hand over the side seam as he spoke. "And hopefully you were anticipating a meet up with me later, so I'm gonna say that low-cut shirt, the sleeveless one with that tie thing up the back," he guessed.

She looked around, up into the balcony and down the hall. "Where are you?"

"Didn't I tell you? I had a date," he teased.

"Pax," she warned.

"And the way you hair falls over your shoulder, revealing skin every time you turn your head," he continued.

"You're here?" she cried out.

"Grey got tickets," he admitted. "We have really sucky seats, not like you two. But I'll be watching you from afar, contemplating what we might do after the show. That is, if you're free."

"What about your date?"

"I'm gonna ditch him," he said without hesitation.

"You didn't… tell him, did you?"

"Our secret is still ours—unless you told Ella?"

She shook her head.

"Good."

"This is bordering on stalking," she frowned.

He laughed. "I'm on the side toward the bathrooms," he instructed, and she looked up and finally his blonde head stuck out in the crowd to her, and she gave a little wave. Just then the line moved forward, and she was ready to disappear into the main door.

"Time to go. I don't think we're ready for the whole using the bathroom in front of the other thing," she giggled.

"I'll be in contact," he promised as they hung up.

When she got back to her seat, she turned around, looking up to see if she could see the boys, but the angle was wrong for her to see anything above them. She settled down and looked to Ella, whose face was in a perpetual state of concern.

"If you have to go, I'd go now," she advised.

"You were gone so long, I thought you'd run into someone you knew."

"No! I mean, just a really long line. I'll save the seats," she promised, taking hold of all the extra clothing Ella had been watching, wondering if Pax would chance another form of contact.

"You okay? You're all flushed," Ella frowned.

"I'm good. Hurry, we only have like twenty more minutes until show time."

Ella did as instructed, running into the line that she'd expected from Rosa's time of absence. She leaned her shoulder against the wall, and took stock of those milling about around her. The men's room line stretched out into the hall as well, which surprised her, but she scanned the men that were on line at the opposite end of the hallway. She got about halfway down the line when she saw someone that had been occupying her thoughts, so much so that she blinked to make sure it wasn't just her overactive imagination. His head turned up, from what must have been an examination of his shoes, and her heart started to pound. She tried to smash herself against the wall, letting the girls in front of her act as a cover. Was she supposed to act normal, smile, wave, go over and talk to him? How could she? What would she say? All the questions that popped into her head didn't seem appropriate, and as her sympathetic nervous system kicked in, her need to empty her bladder diminished. She waited 'til his head was turned back away, and she made a dash for her seats.

She got into the main floor and closed her eyes. This was stupid. If it was him all along, he knew she would be here, and in what seats. But he didn't know that she knew, and that small fact made her feel justified enough to rejoin her friend without a word.

"That was fast—did you play the emergency card?" Rosa asked.

"Oh, uh, no. I didn't go. Didn't want to miss anything."

"You still have fifteen minutes," Rosa pointed out.

"I saw something," she confessed.

"Like a ghost?"

"Did the guys mention they'd be here?" she blurted.

"Guys? Why would the guys have told me they'd be here?" she panicked, not wanting to let on about Pax.

"I don't know, maybe if Grey mentioned he might come with the guys or something?" she fished, wanting a reasonable, last-minute explanation.

"I'm his sister, not his mother. We don't tell each other everything," she defended.

"Sorry," she mumbled. "I must have been mistaken. We'd know if they were coming, right?"

"Right," Rosa frowned, fighting the urge to look up into the balcony. This hiding thing was gonna be much harder than she originally anticipated. Not being able to be straight with her best friend, her brother… maybe guidelines would have to take a backseat to the 'plan' of how they're planning to hide this and for how long….

XXXX

Gwen was playing solitaire on the laptop in the living room when Liz came in and sat down next to her. Jess had finally gotten back to sleep, after what he called a parent-to-parent call to Rory and Tristan, and the kids had been banished to their separate bedrooms, to reduce the likelihood of more yelling that would prolong his illness. She looked up and gave a cautious smile. She wasn't quite sure what to make of her mother-in-law to be.

"Hey, do you mind?" Liz asked.

"By all means," she invited.

"I'm sorry I put you in that position," Liz said. "I don't always do a lot of consequential thinking before I act. At least, that's what Jess says."

Gwen smiled. "He has a thing about that," she nodded.

"He's trying to make up for my mistakes," she said with certainty. "And I can't blame him."

"He's just trying really hard to do all this by himself," Gwen smiled sadly. "As much as I love the kids, my presence doesn't take up the burden of their mom not being around, at least, not for Jess."

Liz nodded. "But he's so good at it. I didn't mean to mess anything up."

"He knows that. Deep, deep down."

Liz sighed. "I was thinking of cutting out a day early, going up to see my brother in Connecticut before I head back home."

Gwen looked up at her from the computer screen. "No, you don't have to go early," she assured her.

"Jess would prefer it," she sighed.

"Jess would prefer what makes the kids happy, and I've seen myself they love having you around," Gwen said. "You know, my mom always hated when her mother came to visit us, they never saw eye to eye on anything. But I used to love when she came to visit," she remembered.

"What was your grandmother like?"

"She was a women's rights lobbyist," she explained. "My mother and father were both very anti-governmental hippies, but my grandmother was into trying to change the laws through the governmental path. They butted heads about everything. Mom didn't want Grandma to fill out heads with lies from 'the man,'" she giggled. "But Grandma would always take us to museums and all these really cultural things. She'd take us to volunteer at local women's shelters, and we'd donate toys to the other kids, and play with them while she worked with the mothers," she said. "I mean, I respected my parents, and what they stood for, but the times we got to go with Grandma and spend time with her were always great. I wouldn't trade that time for anything."

"I'm more like your mother, I'm afraid," she smiled. "I'm not able to offer them such great experiences like your grandmother did for you."

"Maybe not, but you showed Jules how to make jewelry, didn't you?"

Liz nodded. "She seemed to enjoy it."

Gwen smiled. "I'm sure it's something she'll always remember and cherish."

"Maybe I'll stay. Ambrose mentioned some college fair he wanted to hit tomorrow, I was thinking Jules and I could go to some great supply stores while he's doing that."

"That'd be perfect. I have to work, and I don't think Jess will be up to anything tomorrow," she said.

"I like you. The kids like you, too. I mean, I liked Erin okay, you know, but I never got the impression she liked me all that much. I think Jess filled her head with lies about me. Not that he probably had to stretch the truth all that far, but she'd made a decision before she met me. And her parents were the most uptight, strict conservatives," she shuddered.

Gwen tried to hide a smile. "I've heard bits and pieces."

"I know the kids probably love them, too, their grandparents and all, but I like to think I'm much more fun. I always had this vision of them as little kids, spilling juice at their house and being sent out to the yard, you know? I'd just flip the darn thing over, and probably find an old stain."

Gwen laughed. "I guess we're gonna have to get used to a lot more stains and things to trip over," she surveyed the very neat and clean apartment.

"Don't worry. Jess is great with kids. And don't let his methods fool you. Rock music is actually very soothing to infants," Liz said sagely. "It's what I used to calm him. David Bowie, every night. It was his father's favorite, and he used to blare it when I was pregnant. Jess always stopped moving when he played it while I was pregnant, even when he had been super active. It occurred to me, when he was screaming and crying and nothing could make him stop, to try it. He fell fast asleep in seconds—it was better than the cough medicine he had to take. Of course, I was all alone, figuring it out on my own; you won't have to do that. And you've got Jess."

"Yeah, I have Jess," she smiled, taking in the story about his youth. "You have any baby pictures, or any other stories?" she put the laptop on the coffee table, and settled in to listen to Liz's recollections about baby Jess.


	60. Chapter 60

"We've got to stop doing this," she whispered.

"But it's fun."

Rosa rolled her eyes and listened for more movement outside of her bedroom door. "You're gonna have to leave out my window."

"Why can't I just stay 'til she leaves?" Pax whispered.

"I have class."

"You don't trust me alone in your room?"

"I have personal effects in here."

"Is this about black lingerie?"

"You sound way too hopeful," she narrowed her eyes. "This is about my having class, and your having class, and that there is an unknowing roommate out there that we aren't ready to let on about our… special time."

"We could be making this special time much more special," he leaned in to kiss her again. "Not that I'm not enjoying this just making out thing," he wrapped his arm around her shoulders. "Because I am. Very much."

She smiled. "Me too. But we agreed not to rush anything."

"True. But the big thing in most new relationships that people skip over by having sex too soon is getting to know the person; like what their favorite color is and what religion they are and what food would prompt them to leave the house in the middle of the night."

She smiled, but said nothing.

"We know all that. So the going slow part of us is going to go faster than most couples, you know, who are taking it slow."

"Agreed."

"Good," he kissed her again.

"But," she managed between his lips.

"Agreeing doesn't leave room for buts," he shook his head and put a finger to her lips.

"No amount of arguing about this is going to make it happen now," she said.

"Because of class?"

"And the fact that Ella is about twenty feet from my door, if we're lucky."

"Does that mean you're loud?" he smiled too much for his own good.

"I… shut up!" she furrowed her brow as she chastised him.

"And I didn't mean right now. I just meant soon."

"How soon?"

He smiled. "You want like a day and time?"

She nodded.

"That's not very spontaneous, now is it?"

"You want me to believe you're spontaneous?" she nearly snorted.

His mouth dropped open in shock. "Yes."

"Were you not here when we were discussing how we know each other too well, like five seconds ago?"

"I can be plenty spontaneous."

"You would fall to pieces if you lost your day timer," she challenged.

"Hardly," he lied, not liking the tone of her voice.

"Prove it," she continued.

"How?"

"Hand it over," she stood up straighter, squaring her shoulders.

"You want my day timer? No way. You'll decorate it with girly stickers," he laughed.

She crossed her finger over her heart. "I will not take a pen or a sticker to it. Just give it to me until Friday."

"What happens on Friday?"

"Guess you'll have to wait and see," she teased.

"You really want my day timer?"

She nodded.

He considered this. He hated to back down from a challenge, which she well knew. But he said he could be spontaneous, and more than anything he was going to prove that to her.

"Can I just flip through it, get a rough idea of," he began, and she shook her head.

"It's all mine starting now, or no dice."

"Fine," he slid out of the warm confines of her arms, padded over in jeans and bare feet, and jammed his hand into his book bag. He pulled it out and put it on her desk. She smiled and moved to stand in front of him. She put her hands on his chest, and looked up into his eyes.

"I think you should know," she looked down thoughtfully, then back up. "There is black lingerie."

He kissed her and smiled. "I think I'm going to enjoy this whole spontaneous thing," he whispered against her lips, shuffling forward and trapping her between his body and her desk.

XXXX

"So, it went well?" Anna asked, her fingernail in her teeth, which she instantly removed when he raised an eyebrow at her.

"As well as it possibly could have," Will tossed his keys on the kitchen table and moved back toward the dividing wall that separated the kitchen and living room.

"Was it weird?"

"It was… educational."

Her fingertip grazed her lip. "O-kay."

He shrugged. "I've never really spent any time with Chris before. I was okay with imagining him as a deadbeat dad that my mother succumbed to in a moment of weakness."

She smiled sadly. "Mom said he's very charming."

Will smiled. "He is. And they're like two peas in a pod. I was sure I'd made a horrible mistake, several times. Just seeing the way she was so comfortable with him."

Anna relaxed back against his shoulder. "Like us?"

He nodded and kissed her hair. "You can see where that disheartened me."

She smiled. "So they love each other. It doesn't mean she loves your dad any less."

"I know," he frowned. "And I don't know how it worked, but he had her packed up and ready to leave Rory's before I knew it."

"You know what he said?"

He shook his head. "I went outside, talked to Rory. Which reminds me, I have something to tell you. I kind of told someone, about us."

"Chris?"

He shook his head. "Rory. I felt we needed an extra ally, besides Dave. And Rory has this weird effect on Mom. If she thinks the wedding is a good idea, it's more likely that Mom won't question it."

She nodded. "What'd she say?"

He smirked. "That we were crazy. And that she was happy for us."

"Have I mentioned I'm glad you're home?" she leaned into him.

"I think once or twice," he smiled, leaned down far enough to kiss her, but just hovered for a moment thinking of the way she'd knocked him down upon his arrival. "Just for future reference, that's a nice way to be greeted."

"I missed you. It was just weird, to sleep alone in our bed," she brushed her lips to his. "And I've been wearing my ring. Just around the house," she admitted.

"I've been sleeping in mine," he assured her. "But if all goes well, we won't be hiding it much longer. I figure we'll give Mom and Dad the night, you know, to make up or whatever," he shifted uncomfortably at the thought of his parents being like any other couple reunited after a time apart. "Then I figure we get the parents together tomorrow night for dinner and lay out the plan. You think we can get two weddings planned in two weeks?"

She paled. "Our moms can, surely. I mean, I can't do too much, other than show up for stuff—I have class. And you have class. And we have work, and," she began to sound distressed.

He rubbed his hands over her arms. "Hey, hey," he laughed a little. "We're already married. This is for them, not us."

"It's a little for us," she looked up at him hopefully.

"You'll definitely be the most beautiful bride there," he kissed her nose. "And there is one thing that we never got to do, that needs to be rectified."

"Is this about shoving wedding cake in my face?"

He laughed. "This is about a proper honeymoon. One without group therapy sessions and sharing a room with your brother."

"Where would we go?" she asked inquisitively.

"Anywhere you want."

"And who is paying for this trip to Italy?" she laughed. "Santa Claus?"

"Okay, so I can't promise Italy, but it's the husband's responsibility to plan a proper honeymoon, and I want to start this marriage off right."

"Well, this marriage is off to a great start, if you ask me. But I can think of one thing that might make it just a teeny bit better," she bit the inside of her cheek and grabbed a handful of the front of his shirt.

"Oh really?" he asked, letting himself be pulled back down the hallway, past their office and into their bedroom.

XXXX

"Staring at the phone won't make it ring," Tristan informed her as he walked around the kitchen table the long way to get into the refrigerator. He took out a bottle of water and placed it in front of her before getting one for himself.

"I'm not staring at the phone."

"Is there someone in particular you're expecting? Ella? A job lead? New boyfriend?"

She shot him a look and unscrewed the bottle. "I thought, maybe, Mom," she led.

He nearly choked on the mouthful of water he'd been in the process of swallowing. "You're kidding, right?"

"She came down here, more upset than I've ever seen her, crying for over a day, and was carted away by my brother and my father. She owes it to call me and tell me how everything turned out."

"Rory, last time we had enough of a fight to cause you to run off upset, did you call anyone the day you got home?"

She blushed. "I would have, if I hadn't been kept so busy."

"For two days," he reminded her.

"Okay," she smiled. "So, fine. She isn't going to call. It's not a big deal. I'm sure everything is fine."

"And we're going up next weekend to see them."

"Right," she nodded, still staring at the phone.

"Okay," he scooted his chair back from the table. "You need a distraction."

She looked up hopefully. "A distraction?"

"We're going on a date," he leaned over her shoulder, whispering in her ear. "Maybe even spend the night in a hotel."

"What about Jake?" she asked, her voice saying she liked the idea of it, even if it seemed unfeasible in her head.

"Jake is sixteen," he pointed out. "Fully capable of holding down the fort alone, with the number we're staying at and the expressed directions only to use said number if 911 is also being called."

She turned to face him. "Really?"

"You go pack, get ready. I'll make all the plans."

She bit her lip. "It would be nice. What about work?"

"I can postpone a meeting, and my department is capable of running a day without me at this point. They're a good team. I'll have my pager for emergencies."

"Okay," she nodded excitedly. "What should I pack for?"

"All contingencies," he smirked. "It's a surprise."

She shared the smile and pushed back from the table, racing up the stairs to tell her son he was to fend for himself until their eventual return and not to burn the house down.

XXXX

Jess picked up the phone at work disinterestedly, not in the mood to deal with an author, or worse an agent. He'd been playing catch up as best he could to make up what he would have gotten done while he was in a Nyquil coma. He just wanted to get the last few pages of the manuscript in front of him out of his sight and frankly the phone calls, however well meaning or dreadfully important they were, just slowed the whole process. He'd yet to figure out a way to work without any human interaction of any kind.

"Jess Mariano."

"Hi. It's me."

"Hey," he smiled as he heard his fiancé's voice. It wasn't normal for her to call in the middle of the day—normally she was booked with meetings, proposals, and various commitments from the time she stepped out of their front door until well into the night some days. She brought as little work home as she could, but good ideas struck at the most random of times, which he understood, and she'd often drag out her computer to jot down entire campaigns. He'd been teasing her lately that she should start cutting back now so she didn't go into some sort of shock when she had to start maternity leave.

"You busy?"

Her voice was weird. She wasn't in her office—there was a weird background noise that he couldn't place.

"Not as some. What's up?"

"Promise you won't freak out."

His heart rate doubled. "Okay."

"I'm fine."

"The baby," he barely made out the words.

"Is fine. Everyone is fine."

"Where are you?"

"The hospital," she admitted.

"Did you have an accident?"

"I fainted," she admitted softly. "In a meeting," came the veil of embarrassment.

"You fainted in a meeting?" he repeated.

"I would have been mortified, you know, had I been conscious."

"What's wrong?"

"Overexertion. And they won't release me, without a responsible adult that will sign off to look after my well-being for the next twenty-four hours."

"And you called me?" he joked.

"Jess," she warned.

"I'll be right down. Don't move a muscle. I mean it, as dumb as it sounds, if they say lay there motionless with your feet elevated, you sweet talk an orderly into changing the television stations for you, got me?"

"I get it," she grumbled, not liking what she'd probably already been hearing. "Jess?"

"Yeah?" he asked, saving his document and grabbing his bag on his way toward his door.

"Thanks."

He smiled. "Not even a little muscle."

XXXX

Will rested his bag on the kitchen table and opened the refrigerator door to grab something quickly to take with him to his study group. Anna came with her own bag of books and grabbed her keys off the counter.

"We have nothing," he said in amazement.

"Oh, yeah. I meant to go to the store yesterday, but Mom called me over to the Inn to help out before work, and I ate there and forgot."

"Can you go now?"

"I have to go to the library. Can't you just stop by on your way home?"

"I have a study group in New Haven. Everything will be closed by the time I get back."

"What about the all night markets in New Haven?"

"I'm not paying three bucks for a loaf of bread," he shook his head. "If we start that kind of stuff, we're gonna have to move into a cardboard box."

She made a face at him. "Fine. What about tomorrow morning?"

"I have work. You?"

"Class 'til the afternoon."

"Maybe we can go tomorrow, together, after we get home."

She frowned. "How long do you think we can keep this up?"

"We won't starve."

"We have ketchup and pickles. When did we buy pickles?"

"We'll get into a groove, and I'm done at semester. I'll do all the shopping after December," he promised.

"What about the next two weeks, though? As soon as we tell our parents we want it as soon as possible, forget time to buy food, we'll be lucky if we get to sleep."

He checked his watch. "Can we talk about this later? I have to go now or I'll be in traffic forever."

"Guess I'll just see you at the wedding. I'll be the one at the end of the aisle," she said softly, though sarcastically. He kissed her cheek and handed her keys. "Come on, I'll walk you to your car."

XXXX

She opened one eye, an experiment to see if any of her muscles worked voluntarily at this point and time, only to see the aftermath of the path of their destruction. They'd broken a lamp, the one shaped like a pineapple she'd been so excited to find at lat year's rummage sale, the door was half unhinged, and she could see her underwear haphazardly laying in the bathroom sink. She winced as she remembered the picture that fell in the hallway and the possibly unfixable chair leg they'd broken in the kitchen.

They'd been standing in the downstairs spare bedroom when they'd started. They were soon caught up in a chaotic, kinetic surge of sexual energy when she'd informed him that she was in fact home.

Oh, what a welcome.

It was as if time had turned, back to the first few dates that had occurred so many years ago, when everything was so new—yet came so naturally. He used to joke that just listening to her talk was taxing, but she literally felt that their prior night's activities had sapped two years off her life. It was a small price to pay.

Her lips were curled in an involuntary smile from a marathon of pleasure. Using her hands, she pushed up from his chest to see that his face was also in the same state—exhausted joy. She fell back down the three inches as her triceps gave out, and he emitted a small groan upon her landing hard on his chest.

His hand groped lazily for her shoulder. "What time is it?"

"Dunno. Early?" she managed.

He tilted his head toward the window, assaulting his eyes with sunlight.

"Crap!" he yelled, trying to push up under her dead weight.

"Luke, stop," she complained, not enjoying her pillowing trying to escape her.

"Diner. Not open," he began incoherently. "Bad. People. Here. Torches."

She peeled her eyes open again. "Go back to sleep, this is your final warning. You're in no shape to go to work. I'm in no shape to be left alone. What if an intruder came? I'd be laying here helpless and you couldn't hurry home? I'd have to hope he tripped on our house-wide clutter of broken possessions!"

"The only intruders would be townspeople dropping off food—which is weird since you were the one that left, and I cook," he frowned.

"Clearly you've never eaten your own food when you're upset."

"It's not that bad."

"Not that bad? The Stars Hollow Hockey team could use one of your burgers as a puck when you're in a mood," she threw back.

"At least let me call Caesar."

"If I do, does that mean you'll stay home with me all day?"

"Yes."

"And protect me?"

"From even yourself," he kissed her forehead.

"Will you let me order pizza and eat it in bed?"

"Don't push it," he groaned as he reached for the cordless they kept on the nightstand. "Have you seen the phone?"

"Look under the bed," she suggested, her cheeks shading as she remembered her foot being the culprit for that particular accident. "Luke?"

"Yes, I think it would freak Joe out if I answered the door naked, and no we're not going to test that theory," he said as he leaned half under the bed, his hand searching out the plastic object.

"Do you hate me?"

He looked up, now phone in hand, and brought his other hand to her face softly. He stroked two fingers across her cheek.

"What? No, Lorelai," he sighed. "I just… I didn't know, then you left," he sighed again. "I'm gonna kill Kirk."

"No," she grabbed his hand and squeezed. "I just didn't know what to do. I can't say I know what I'd have done, if I'd found out first. I was just so surprised. I shouldn't have run like that. And Kirk has enough troubles, don't you think?"

"He did get his fair share," Luke grumbled. "Can I scare him, a little?"

She smiled softly. "Maybe a little."

"We're gonna make this right."

She smiled up at him and kissed him. "You never did anything wrong."

"Neither did you," he said, dropping the phone back on the floor and using his strength to roll her over on her back.

"What about Caesar and all the hungry townspeople?"

"They can wait."

XXXX

"How long do you normally keep a guy waiting?" Rosa asked as she sat next to her friend at lunch.

"For what?" she asked with a mouth mostly filled with French fries.

"You know . . . ." she gave her a knowing look.

"I don't think I do," she frowned.

"Sex," she whispered.

"Oh," Ella blushed. "Um, well," she stammered.

"Three dates? Five?"

"Well," she frowned.

"Ohmy—are you a first-dater?"

"No!" she exclaimed, earning a few looks from others at nearby tables. "I don't put them on some kind of date time table. Wait—are you on some kind of time table?"

"No, it's just a question. I'm kind of doing a poll for a paper I'm working on," she lied.

"On how long most girls wait to have sex?"

"Yes. I mean, my roommate is a logical place to start. You are sexually active," she pointed out.

"Not right this minute I'm not," she frowned as she dipped a fry into ketchup.

"How long did you wait with Billy?"

"A while. We were dating long distance, and we were young," she shrugged. "Next time it'll probably go faster, since I've already, you know," she led.

"Right. It tends to go faster the second time around."

"And it depends on how much you like the guy."

"Exactly. But shouldn't you wait a little bit, just to make sure it's right?"

"Well, what's your normal, um, schedule?"

"I tend to wait," she frowned. "But I wonder, you know, if you think you might be," she paused, "in love—why wait?"

"How many dates are we talking?"

"Official dates?"

"What other kinds of dates are there?"

"You know, hanging out, being friends."

"So, no dates?"

Rosa shrugged. "I'm just saying. Sometimes it's more complicated."

"People should be extremely wary of sleeping with a good friend—what if it doesn't work out?"

"I've thought of that," she said quietly.

"Why?"

"Just, you know, as an angle for the paper. But isn't it more likely to work out, if you're friends first?"

Ella shrugged. "It's hard to say. I mean, it depends on how long you've been friends and what you're risking for a night of pleasure," she pointed out. "Besides, what if it's not good?"

The look of impossibility crossed her face. "Why wouldn't it be good?"

"Just who are we talking about?"

"I told you—it's hypothetical, for a paper."

"Uh-huh. Doesn't sound very hypothetical."

"Okay, we'll put it in context. What if your admirer turns out to be a friend of yours? Would you sleep with him on your first date?"

Ella blushed. "That depends."

"On what?"

"Lots of things. Would you ever have sex on the first date? Official or not?"

"I never have," she chewed on the inside of her cheek.

"So past performance is the best indicator of future actions," Ella pointed out, as if reciting.

"I guess."

"Are you sure there isn't something you want to tell me?"

Rosa looked up at her friend. "I'm sure. These are the kinds of decisions we need to make ahead of time, you know? If you just leave it up to the heat of the moment," she led.

"The heat of the moment can sometimes override the most carefully made decisions," Ella pointed out.

"Yeah. The heat of the moment," she bit her lip as her friend went back to eating her fries.

XXXX

"I can be spontaneous, right?" Pax flopped down next to his friend, who was eating chips out of the bag and flipping through the stations on the television.

A small guffaw emitted a small spray of chip bits from Jasper's lips. "You?"

"Hey," he snagged the bag of chips. "I'm the one that is usually standing beside you, base-jumping or streaking girls' dorms," he defended.

"Yes, but those have all been much planned out stunts. You're great at plans," he shoved his hand down the bag. "You're the master of plans. But at spontaneity, you suck."

Pax looked at Jasper. "I suck?"

"You're not a fly-by-the-seat-of-your-pants fellow," he smirked. "Is this news?"

"Just because I like making plans and knowing all the contingencies doesn't mean I can't fly by the seat of my pants. If I'm so inclined."

"Sure," Jasper said, giving him a side-long glance. "Does Linzy want you to be more spontaneous?"

"Oh, right, that's over," he smirked.

"Thank God," he let out a breath. "Onto someone new?"

"I didn't say that," he said quickly.

"So, the spontaneous thing isn't about a woman?"

"It's just something Rosa called me out on."

Jasper raised an eyebrow.

"What?"

"Nothing. Just… Rosa, huh?"

"Shut up. It's not what you're thinking."

"What am I thinking? Besides the fact that if what I'm thinking is going on, it's about damn time?"

"She dared me that I couldn't live without my day planner."

"For how long?"

"'Til Friday."

"Good luck."

"Thanks," he put a handful of chips into his mouth.

"Why is she suddenly so concerned with your lack of impulsiveness?"

"She was deflecting the attention away from her," he shrugged. "I think."

"Rosa? That's a new tactic. She loves talking about her. Except when it comes to guys," he said aloud slowly, then looked at Pax knowingly.

"What?"

"So, she goaded you and now you want to be more spontaneous?"

"She didn't goad me."

"She always goads you. She has a unique ability to get under your skin," he said matter-of-factly.

"She does not," he said sorely, knowing it was a lie. "Though she was definitely deflecting."

"Are we gonna keep talking about this?" Jasper asked as he looked at the television for a beat before looking at his friend, who shrugged. "Fine. Let's talk. And do not use the word deflect again."

"It's nothing."

"Look, if you want to be spontaneous, the first rule is you can't think about being spontaneous."

"What do you mean by not thinking about it?"

"What context are we talking about here?"

"Context?"

"Arena, you know… is this about showing off or getting her into the sack?"

"This is Rosa," he reminded. "I just want to… to," he searched for words that would keep this relationship in the closet—or in her dorm room, which is where the bulk of their secrecy was kept.

"To what?" Jasper pressed.

"I …," he frowned. "I just want her to…," he stopped again.

"You want her to what?" he held in the smirk.

Pax let out a deep breath, stood up, and paced between his oldest friend and the television set in front of which Jasper had been so desperate to just sit and space out. "Can I tell you something?"

"Sure," he nodded.

"No, I mean, if I tell you, you can't tell anyone. For an unspecified amount of time. Possibly forever."

"Are you going to make me pinky swear? 'Cause I'm pretty sure only girls pinky swear."

"Swear to me."

Jasper sighed.

"Swear that you'll keep this secret on the threat of my telling your mother what really happened at senior prom."

Jasper raised an eyebrow. "This better be good."

Pax nodded.

"Fine. I swear. Now tell me or get out of my line of sight."

"Rosa and I… we… we're kind of… together."

Jasper blinked.

"Well?"

"Well, what?"

"You have nothing to say to that?"

"It's about damn time."

Pax groaned. "That's it?"

"So, this is about getting her in the sack."

"No! This is about her not being disappointed."

"She's not going to be disappointed."

"How can you possibly know that?"

"Because it's like that show our moms like. You're her lobster."

"You're comparing me to a crustacean?"

"They mate for life, or something. I'm just saying, she's been in love with you forever, and she doesn't need you to be spontaneous. If she was bugging you about it, it was probably because she wanted to get you focused on something else."

"So, she was deflecting?"

Jasper groaned. "I told you not to use that word. But yes. Something is probably freaking her out, and she doesn't want to talk about it. You know how she is."

Pax sighed. "Yeah. I was afraid of that too. But what could be freaking her out already?"

Jasper looked at him like he was ready for institutionalization. "You two, who have been repressing feelings for each other for decades, have gotten together under the guise of secrecy, and you can't see where she might be freaked out?"

"Is it really the spontaneity thing?"

"Ohmygod!" Jasper moved to stand in front of his friend. "Seriously, stop thinking about it. She will tell you when she wants to, just enjoy your secret make-out thing, and let me stop thinking too, okay?"

Pax rolled his eyes. "What are you thinking about?"

"Nothing. Go make out with Rosa."

"Hey! No one knows about this!"

"Yes, I know, everyone has their secrets, and evidently I'm everyone's favorite secret keeper."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

Jasper rubbed his hand over his eyes. "Look. If you want to get her to talk, you know as well as I do that you have to play her game. She wants you to be spontaneous, be spontaneous. Don't think. Just do whatever comes to mind when you think of her. It could be something as small as buying a candy bar when you see it and think of her. It could be something as huge as whisking her away for the weekend because you want to be free to show how much you like her without other people blowing your cover. Whatever it is, it should be about her, got it?"

Pax nodded. "Seems easy."

"It is," he sighed.

"Thanks, man. It's good to have you around like this again, you know?"

"Anytime," he assured him. "You'd do the same thing."

"I'll leave you alone."

"Thank you."

Jasper picked up the remote as Pax moved to his own bedroom and his eyes glazed over as the bright colors flashed in front of his face. He stopped on a commercial, stood up, and cried out. "Oh, crap!"

Pax stuck his head out. "What?"

"I gotta go," he said quickly as he emerged from the room at a run.

"Guess everyone does have secrets," Pax breathed and went back into his room.

XXXX

"Tristan!" Rory turned in the small space between the front door and the hostess counter. There were college kids swarming around them, waiting for tables and taking pizzas to go.

"Yeah?"

"I can't believe you remembered this place," she gazed up at him.

"It was kind of our first date," he reminded her.

"I know," she said as he wrapped an arm around her waist and flashed two fingers at the harried hostess, who took their name on the register and gave them a thirty-minute wait notice.

"But as the guy, you didn't expect me to remember that?"

She shrugged. "How am I to know how many women you brought here before me?"

"Even after all these years, such little faith you have in me. I happen to remember a lot of things about you from back then."

"Like what?"

"Like how you drank five cups of coffee the first day we talked, before my grandfather's party."

She blushed. "Five cups isn't that much."

"You were nervous."

"I wasn't sure what we were doing," she admitted.

"We were talking. And you were picturing me naked."

She pulled in closer to him. "I was not! I was noticing that you looked different."

"Good different?" he asked knowingly, having full knowledge that two years of military school had definitely done a body good.

"Oh, shut up," she blushed and ducked her head against his shoulder as the loud world of college students buzzed around them. "Does this place make you feel old?"

"I'm here with the most beautiful woman in the world, how could that make me feel old?"

"I'm not the most beautiful woman in this room," she pointed out.

"Go to the bathroom," he suggested.

"I went before we left the house," she mocked.

"Just go. Ten bucks says you get hit on at least once before you get back to me."

"You want me to get hit on by some mindless frat monkey?"

He smirked. "You never have been good at taking compliments."

"It's because when you gave me compliments in high school, you tended to come off as a letch."

"Every single compliment I've ever given you has been sincere," he said, his hand going over his heart as if her comment hurt him to the core.

"You have this suaveness, though, that seems to imply you want in my pants."

"That is a completely separate matter."

"It bleeds together. Women pick up on that."

"If it makes you feel any better, you were the only woman that I was incapable of keeping them separate with."

She snorted. "Even still," she shook her head.

"You know why I really brought you back here?"

"Not to get hit on by frat boys?"

He shook his head. "Do you know when I fell in love with you?"

She shook her head numbly as she focused on the soft tone of his voice in her ear, as the loud hum of other people's voices filled the rest of the air. "You told me, on the phone," she said.

He shook his head. "It was before that. You showed up at my grandfather's house, after spilling your guts at the coffee house about how you were only going to stay for so many minutes, doing exactly the things you were comfortable doing. You were standing there, under this microscope that only I could see, and yet you seemed so gracious."

"That's when you fell in love with me?"

He shook his head. "That's when I decided what I was feeling was more than some crush I had on a girl I knew back in high school. It wasn't until we were lying on the hood of my car the first night you came down here that I knew I loved you."

"Why?"

He kissed her temple. "Because we were just together. I was just so damn happy you were lying next to me."

"I've always been happy just being next to you," she whispered loudly into his ear.

"Dugrey!" came the call from the hostess, and they got up to follow her down the narrow aisle between booths to enjoy being alone even in a swarm of people.

XXXX

Jess walked quickly, not stopping until he reached the room where Gwen was sitting back against pillows, staring out the window. He leaned against the door, flowers in his arms, and let out the breath of worry he'd been holding.

"Hey."

"Hey," her head turned and smiled. "I don't deserve flowers."

"Thought you'd like something to brighten up the bedroom. You're going to be spending the next two days in bed."

She shook her head. "I have work to do," she protested.

"I just talked to your doctor. You're living like everything is normal, but you're pregnant. You need extra rest and extra food."

"I'm eating enough," she protested.

"But you're not resting enough. You can't go full steam every day until the day you give birth. As a matter of fact, the doctor would like to see you cut back to forty hours a week, starting now."

"But, I," she frowned.

"Gwen," he sat on the edge of her bed. "I know it's a change. But your body is trying to tell you something. This time it wasn't so serious, but if you keep going like this, you can put yourself on permanent bed rest."

She sighed. "I know. There's just so much I want to get done, before maternity leave. I didn't exactly plan all of this, you know?"

"Is this about not being married?" he asked.

"No," she shook her head. "It's just, I was on this track. After my divorce, I threw everything I had into my job. And I had these five-year goals, ten-year goals—everything was working so well."

"I'm not asking you to give up your goals. But you might have to make six- and eleven-year tracks instead."

She nodded. "I know. I guess I'll have to tell everyone at work about the baby now."

He nodded. "Unless you want them to think you're a drug addict or dying or something."

She gave a strangled laugh. "Yeah. Funny how they could all be mistaken."

He shook his head and bent down to kiss the top of hers. "So, two days of bed rest sounding any better?"

"That depends. You gonna stay with me?"

"Only on one condition," he said slowly, as an idea occurred to him. "How do you feel about making a pit stop on the way back to the apartment?"

She looked at him in confusion. "What kind of pit stop?"


	61. Chapter 61

Rory held her cup of coffee and looked out over the campus. She was in the fluffiest robe she'd ever worn, more rested than she had been in years, and had a genuine smile that she was pretty sure she'd be hard-pressed to shake across her face.

Strong arms came from behind her, wrapping around her torso and pulling her back like gravity. She contentedly gave in to the shift he was subjecting her to, and leaned her head back to his shoulder.

"If I spill this coffee, they'll charge us for this robe," she warned.

"You'd only have spilled it if I'd taken the sneak-attack route," he mused. "Don't think I didn't consider it, but I factored in the scalding coffee flying in the air."

"We wouldn't want to scar your pretty face," she teased, and he used his teeth in retaliation to the upper shell of her ear.

"What about my perfect body?"

She reached out far enough to put the mug on the small metal table in the corner and turned in to face him. She slipped her hands under the fabric of his matching robe and sought out her target.

"Perfect? I seem to remember a few imperfections," she said, running the tip of her fingernail over a scar on his stomach he'd gotten playing pick up games in the quad with his friends at college.

"A scratch here and there. But you have to admit, I'm in pretty good shape."

She loosened the belt of his robe just enough to pry it open and peek in. To her delight, he'd not bothered to slip on his boxers, and she smiled at the way he reacted to the attention.

"Not bad," she smirked.

"I've had girls faint in my sheer presence, I'll have you know," he defended his physique.

"I believe you've mentioned that," she narrowed her eyes.

"Ever made anyone pass out, just from looking at you?" he dared her.

"No," she sniffed. "But I seem to remember rendering someone speechless a time or two," her eyes sparkled.

"I can't be expected to focus on anything other than you," he dipped his head down and kissed her, causing her hands to squeeze what little flesh she was able to grab on his body. "Words just can't compete."

She had to admit, for a man his age he'd not developed any problem areas that most men are prone to. He was still as strong as he ever was, which he demonstrated by crushing her body against him where she'd left him open to the elements.

"Are you sure?" she asked breathlessly, as their previous night had been spent in bed, doing all the things they'd not done their first weekend alone on this campus in his old apartment so many years ago. This time around there was nothing stopping them from ravaging each other, from finding all the pleasure they'd known was awaiting them even back then. As voracious as they tended to be, she was pretty sure they needed more than just eight hours sleep and a long, hot, though shared, shower before they gave it another go. But going was what he seemed to be, nonetheless.

"Oh, I'm sure," he managed between kisses, pulling her back into the French doors.

"My coffee," she yelped as he'd already undone the front of her robe, her equally naked body pressed into his.

"Might get spilled in here," he got out before they landed on the bed, which was still in a disarray of sheets and strewn pillows.

XXXX

Jess dialed the number again, leaned back in his leather chair at work, strumming his fingers on his desk. He heard the familiar, professional but still friendly, tone of her voice as it said to leave a message and she'd get back to him as soon as she could. He heard the generic voicemail voice offer to page the cell customer, and he thought about it, but decided that leaving a message was good enough.

"Hey, Rory, it's just me. Call me," he said and replaced the receiver, turning his already shoddy attention back to his computer screen. He made a couple of small structural changes to the document sitting in front of him, but in the end, he picked up his phone and dialed another number.

"Will you stop calling?" came the exasperated answer.

"I can come home."

"You don't need to come home," Gwen assured him. "I'm fine. My feet are elevated, I have that huge bottle of water that I can barely lift that you got on the way home last night, and I've got _Grey's Anatomy_ in the DVD player. I'm McResting."

"That is wrong on so many levels. I can't believe I let you bring that into my house," he groaned.

"You're dreamier than Patrick Dempsey," she giggled. "Cross my heart and hope to die."

"I should be home with you today."

"You have work. We'll take some time later, when I'm not on such strict bed rest and you've got some wiggle room in your schedule."

"Yeah, but," he protested.

"I love you. Go back to work."

"I love you, too. I feel guilty."

"Work. The sooner you finish, the sooner you get back to monitoring if I'm blinking too many times a minute. Which doesn't count when they said 'moving around.' I asked."

"That reminds me. Ambrose and Jules will be home by lunch. They had a half day because of a teacher conference or something. He's on tap to fill in for me until I can get back."

"Did I mention Dr. McDreamy? He's the only one qualified to stand in for you," she joked.

"He'll keep Jules in line so you won't be dragged into any of the teenage girl angst right now, and he'll fetch more water and anything you could dream of to eat. I mean it, he has every good restaurant's number in a five-block radius in his head. And if you want one of them cooking, you want it to be him. Jules can burn water."

"How is that even possible?" she pondered.

"Too much time spent with the Gilmore girls," he smirked. "We're talking too much. Go take a nap, I'll check in after lunch."

"I can hear this kid now, 'Mommy, why is Daddy so bossy?'" she mocked.

"Three more days. Then you can go back to a light schedule. I just want you to be safe," his voice softened and grew serious.

"Me too. I won't even change the DVD until Ambrose gets here. I can watch one episode about twenty times in a row and still be riveted," she promised.

"That's my girl. I'll talk to you soon."

"Bye, Jess," she said softly and hung up. He held onto the receiver, listening to the lack of her, and sighed. He put his finger on the lever, disconnecting from the line and dialed Rory's number again. When he heard her voicemail message a second time, he hung up and moved out of the room to get a cup of coffee.

XXXX

Ella had gotten all the way to the library before realizing she forgot the one textbook that she had to have with her to use as research for her paper. She needed a number of other resources as well, but the teacher had designated this one as a must-include, as a starting point around which to build thirty different papers with thirty different outcomes.

Having no foundation left little to build upon.

She was already harried, having gone through one cup of coffee on the way to the library and wishing she had enough cash to stop by to get another one on hand without hitting the ATM, where her account could only take so many more withdrawals before she had to call her father and hint that she might be a little in the red.

All of this, and she was doing her best to be a model student—spending her free morning studying, hard at work. Or running a series of sprints. Whatever.

She got her key in the lock, flipped the door open, and stopped dead in her tracks. Pax was coming out of Rosa's room, in bare feet and eating a Power Bar. He stopped chewing and moving altogether when he saw Ella.

"Oh. Hi."

"Um, hi," she blinked, unable to stop staring at him.

"I was just, grabbing a snack."

She nodded and redistributed the weight of her full book bag, minus the missing textbook. "From our room?"

"Rosa has a big stash, and I was over at Sloane."

"Ah."

"I was just on my way out again."

She nodded, but didn't say anything.

"This is weird, isn't it?"

"A little."

"I swear, I wasn't creeping around in your rooms. She let me in, on her way out."

"It's not a big deal," she smiled tightly, unable to look him directly in the eyes. "It's just," she frowned.

"Just what?"

"Do you normally kick your shoes and socks off when you stop by to grab something quick to eat?"

He looked down at his bare feet. "I … don't have a good explanation."

She nodded. "I should get going. I forgot a book."

He cleared his throat. "How are things?"

She halted in her attempted beeline path for her door. "Fine?"

"Yeah, me too. Fine," he added.

"Pax, we don't need to talk. It's probably better if we don't."

"Yeah. I like that plan. Never speak of this again."

She bit her lip. "Unless," she dared to meet his eyes finally. "You want to tell me something."

His right eyebrow twitched. "I have nothing to tell."

"Have it your way," she said, ducking into her room to grab the book that was laying innocuously on her desk, as if it were waiting on her. "Should I tell Rosa anything for you?"

He shook his head as something occurred to him. It wouldn't go down as Ella telling Rosa anything other than the fact that when she got back from the library, which Ella could literally spent hours in without realizing a single moment had passed, he was there roaming around in Rosa's room. Rosa would immediately think he had come back by to snoop for his day timer to figure where he was supposed to be instead of lurking in her dorm room. If that wasn't romantic, nothing was….

He needed to be the one to tell her that by the time he finally was able to pull himself out of her bed and slip his clothes on, Ella had raced back to retrieve a book, and perhaps Rosa was right about the him needing to leave by less noticeable exits. She would smile, trying not very hard to hide it, as he proclaimed himself wrong. This way he'd win points, and maybe she'd be so gracious as to help him cover his tracks with Ella.

"Maybe we shouldn't mention this to Rosa," he cleared his throat.

"Why?" Ella narrowed her eyes at him.

"Shouldn't you be getting back to the library?"

"Shouldn't you be getting back to your own room?" she stood back as she questioned him in retaliation.

"Right," he said, realizing he was still shoeless. "Uh," he ducked into Rosa's room and hastily slid his feet into his shoes, his socks shoved into his backpack. "See you later."

Ella watched as he left, wondering if things could get any stranger. She took a deep breath, opened the fridge, hoping she'd find something that would squelch her desire for more coffee. Sighing, she found nothing inside to do the trick, but a new basket was sitting on top of the mini-fridge unit. Inside was a gift card to the coffee bar and a small envelope.

She slid the envelope inside her text book and palmed the gift card, opening her door just in time to find Grey on her doorstep.

"I'm here for Rosa," he spurted out.

"Seems to be a theme today," she muttered.

"What?" he looked shocked out of his awkwardness.

"Nothing. She's not here. You can wait, or," she offered.

"Oh. No. You off somewhere?"

She bit her lip. She'd freaked out at the club when she spotted him, having run the other way. Never before had she thought he would be someone she would hide from, but as they stood just inches away, the memories of their close call to crossing the line made her flush.

"I was just, um," she closed her eyes a second.

"Class?"

She shook her head. "Library."

"Ella," he leaned against the door frame.

"Yeah?" she looked up at him suddenly.

"How'd you like the show?"

"Oh, Chaos," she felt the burn of hot pink on her ears.

"Is something wrong?" he leaned in.

Her eyes got wide. "Wrong? No. Nothing's wrong. I need to go. To the library."

He frowned. "Okay."

She nodded and moved to step next to him in the hallway, locking her door. He watched her move as quickly as she could, causing her to fumble with the key and looking up at him when she had restored her keys to her book bag.

"What?"

"Tell Rosa I'll be back to see her tonight, that I need to talk to her."

She nodded and watched as he gave her a smile and turned the opposite direction that she was headed. She looked up to the sky, cursing her mother's handed-down penchant to blush and walked to the coffee cart. She pulled the envelope out of the book as she waited, turning it over and over and wondering if she was prepared for what was inside.

XXXX

"Has Dad seen you eat like this?" Ambrose dropped the three sacks from the three different fast food restaurants in front of her on the coffee table. As instructed by his father to make sure she made no unnecessary movements, he went to retrieve the lap tray, and pulled all the contents from their bags for her.

"Just once," she shrugged. "I was kinda hung over."

"I'll have to remember that one," he smirked. "Double cheeseburger plain, mashed potatoes, and nachos supreme."

"Oh, and can I get the Tabasco sauce?" she looked up at him with wide eyes, no sign of sarcasm at all. He managed not to groan outwardly.

"Uh, sure," he grabbed the McDonalds, KFC, and Taco Bell bags with one hand and went to the kitchen to throw them out and grab her condiments and drinks. "Drink?"

"Milk," she called out.

"To balance out the crap?" he asked, bringing back the last of what she'd asked for and sat down on the far end of the couch to watch her start to combine the foods.

"I take a vitamin," she frowned. "So, what are you working on?"

"Besides baby-sitting?" he asked as he pulled out the stack of forms from his bag.

"Your dad will be back in a few hours," she said after she chewed her first bite. "But I do appreciate the food. And the company. I'm not used to being home alone all day."

"Can't you work from home?"

She shook her head. "Not for the next two days. I'm to experience no stress."

"Well, that show you're watching should help you achieve total brain atrophy," he snorted.

"You sound like your father. Have you ever seen it?"

"My father is a writer and an editor. He'd have sliced me from stem to stern if I ever used McWords," he quirked an eyebrow.

"In my line of work, sometimes you have to make up words," she shrugged. "Ohmygod, this is so good."

"Okay, I'm trying to hold it together over here," he warned. "But your ranting about enjoying that," he grimaced. "It's too much."

"Sorry," she smiled as she winced. "So, what's all that?"

"Early admission paperwork. Essays for admission for NYU, and some backups in the city. I'm supposed to pick the most meaningful moment of my life and deconstruct it until it has no meaning to me anymore."

"They just want to make sure you don't write about seeing the latest pop princess in concert. They have to have standards," she assured him.

The doorbell rang, and they both looked to the entryway. "Let me," he said with exaggeration. He padded over to the door, looked through the peephole and sighed. Unlocking all the bolts, he cocked his head as he opened it.

"Seriously?"

"Is your dad around?" Court asked.

"I have a sneaking feeling you know he's not," Ambrose crossed his arms.

"Just five minutes, please?"

"Something tells me you guys aren't so good at the time limit thing," he didn't budge.

"You know how it is. I miss her. Come on, just at least bring her out here, to the door?"

"Grounded. Something she is, and I don't wish to be. I work hard to maintain my freedom, my ability to go as I please."

"Hey, I'm not grounded," he pointed out.

"No, but you got my sister in trouble, so I'm not sure why you think I'd be willing to do you a favor. You think I like the idea of you and my sister out 'til all hours?"

"She's not your responsibility," Court began.

"Wrong. She is my responsibility, whether or not my dad is around, whether or not she thinks she can take care of herself. Get out of her before Dad gets back, and if you wait until she's allowed to see you, I won't mention this to him. It's the only favor you're gonna get."

Ambrose appeared before Gwen, who had paused her consumption to observe him in action. He slumped back down on the couch, picked up the applications, and looked at her.

"What?"

"You're so much like your Dad sometimes, it's frightening."

He shrugged. "He did raise me."

"And he did a great job."

He looked down sheepishly. "Careful, or I'll have to write about this moment. Bonding with my new stepmother."

"Oh, geez. Can we come up with a better term? I feel like I should be handing out poisoned apples."

He chuckled. "Tell you what. Help me sort out all the information they get from every other loser and what's actually going to make me considerable, and we'll work on a more flattering term."

"Deal. Just start simply. Think about where you are now, and when you knew what prompted you to be on this course. Going to college early is a big feat. The story behind what motivated you to shoot for that is bound to be a riveting story. Especially if you take after your dad in the story-telling realm."

He smiled. "Just wait. He tells one hell of a bedtime story."

"I can't wait."

XXXX

Will clinked his glass to be heard over the loud conversations that were occurring at the table. Though there were just ten people, it was quite a raucous group, and it took a minute for all eyes to turn to him. Anna's hand slid onto his knee, gripping it nervously.

He cleared his throat. "So, there was something I'd like to say. There's been quite a lot happening in our families lately, and Anna and I have been discussing the best ways to move forward with the wedding plans, in the face of all that's happened."

He looked quickly past Dave, who was holding together the guise of learning all the information along with the rest of the group. He was grateful for small favors. If Dave lost it, he was screwed.

"You're not putting this off," Luke cut in, shaking his head vehemently. He put his arm protectively around Lorelai's chair. "We appreciate you wanting to hold off, but--," he began.

"No, it's just the opposite, actually," Will held up a hand of protest. "Anna and I would like to get married soon, as quickly as possible, under one contingency."

"Which is what?" Sookie asked.

"That the day we have our ceremony, Mom and Dad have one as well. We can put everything to rights, and let the town celebrate the renewing of your vows with our wedding. This way you'll go back to being married and no one will be the wiser," Will explained, at long last, to his parents, who sat wide-eyed listening.

"Oh, Will," Lorelai sighed, but he was unable to read if it was happiness or sadness that filled her.

Luke looked to her as well, perhaps unclear as to why she was moved by the gesture. "We couldn't."

"You can!" Anna said. "We've discussed it, and it's the best plan. It solves everything."

Lorelai shook her head. "It's sweet, but we can't. We can't impinge upon your day. It's your wedding day, it should be special, and everyone should be focused on you. We'll figure something out for us, when the time is right."

"Lorelai, come on," Sookie urged. "It'll still be about them, but it's kind of romantic in and of itself, with you two renewing everything at the same time. They're right, no one will know. Well, except Kirk, but I'm pretty sure he's been hiding out in a bunker near the Canadian border. At least that's what the grapevine has on good authority."

"We just can't, okay?" she repeated, sounding a little worn from repeating herself. The other Melville children sat around the table, fully aware of the situation that was going on, but not daring to speak.

"Why not?" Will demanded. "We don't care about it taking away from our day, in fact, we think it'll just add to it."

"Maybe we should consider it," Luke offered, his palm rubbing over her shoulder blade comfortingly.

"We can plan a wedding for you, but we'll only be there as spectators," Lorelai said, looking at Luke pointedly, assuring him with her eyes that they would indeed discuss this later. "We can take our time that way, not rush through details because you're trying to cover up our problem."

"We have to do it soon," Will stressed. "This is how it has to be."

"Why does it have to be so--," Lorelai cut off her own question. "Oh."

"What?" Jackson asked, looking from Sookie to Lorelai to his engaged daughter. "I don't get it."

"Oooohhh," Sookie closed her eyes.

"What?" Jackson demanded.

"They're…," Lorelai swallowed. "I really wasn't expecting that."

"Expecting what?" Will asked, looking to Anna.

"I'm not pregnant," Anna shot him a look first, but didn't dare meet her father's eyes. Her younger siblings were unable to hold their snickers, so she glared their way next.

"Are you sure?" Sookie asked.

"Pretty sure," she answered curtly.

"Then what's the rush?" Lorelai asked.

"We've been in love forever, we think it's silly to draw out a long engagement, and we really, really want to share this day with you guys. Is that so wrong?" Anna asked.

"We should at least think about it," Luke said to Lorelai. "It's not the craziest idea I've ever heard. Especially in present company."

"Yeah, Lorelai, think about it. It can still be big and beautiful, we have a lot of decorations on hand, and I'm sure we can scrounge up enough extra kitchen staff in a couple of weeks," Sookie encouraged.

"Mom, I'm really not pregnant," Anna said emphatically.

"Well, you're looking a little bloated lately," Billy offered, causing her to throw a roll at him.

"No food fights!" Jackson admonished.

"It's a roll, it's not art," Billy rolled his eyes.

"Everything your mother makes is art," Jackson barked back.

"Can we get back to the issue at hand?" Anna sighed.

"Apologize to your brother," Sookie said.

"He called me bloated!" she protested.

Billy took a bite out of the roll his sister had bequeathed him. "Can I bring a date to this thing?"

"We can't plan a big wedding in two weeks—leaving us out would cut the guest list in half," Lorelai spoke up.

"How do you figure? They know everyone we know," Luke said, seeming to be a backer of the idea.

Lorelai shook her head. "Can we just finish having a nice dinner? There's too much to discuss, and I don't feel like getting into it now," she said with finality, giving Will a bad feeling in the pit of his stomach. His mother was good at facing reality, but she could dig her heels in and avoid like nobody's business when she didn't want to deal.

"It'd be nicer if certain people would keep their mouths shut," Anna glared at her brother.

"I think we should get to bring dates," he said as he was swallowing a large bite of his mother's risotto. Anna had requested it, hoping for its magical powers to take over the flow of the evening. She was starting to think that her father had tampered with it.

"There has to be a wedding first," Lia kicked him under the table.

"She's pregnant, they're not gonna wait," he pointed out.

Anna picked up a fork and aimed it at him. "Dad never said anything about utensil fights," she warned.

"We're having a nice dinner!" Sookie said in her most threatening mommy's-about-to-lose-it tone.

Anna put her fork down and looked at Will. He put his hand over hers under the table and squeezed. He just nodded, trying to make her feel like it was all gonna be fine, but he wondered if he'd have to call Chris to Stars Hollow to iron this one out for him as well.

XXXX

Jess was now punching in the numbers as if they were each separately responsible for his inability to get through. He'd called the house but hadn't wanted to worry Jake for the details of the number where they were staying. He learned only that they'd be back 'soon,' and then he asked if he could get a message to Ambrose about the time they'd be picking him up on Friday. Jake had asked if everything was okay, and then in an afterthought, he asked that if Jess did talk to his parents, if he could mention his grandmother had called.

With a sigh, he dialed another familiar number, hoping against hope that would do the trick.

"Hello?"

"Where the hell have you been?"

"What?" Tristan asked. "Have you been calling? I haven't missed any calls."

"I've been trying Rory's phone," he sighed. "She's usually the dependable one."

"Ouch. Did you call just to dump on me?"

"I needed to tell her something."

"She's… busy."

Jess groaned. "Oh geez, that sounds dirty."

Tristan laughed. "I can only hope, my friend. All I know is she said it was a surprise and then she disappeared into the bathroom."

"How long ago?"

"Half hour. So, what's up?"

"I… really need to talk to Rory."

"Something's wrong?"

"It's more of a good news, bad news situation. So, what prompted the sudden getaway?"

"We're rekindling our romance."

"You two can't keep your hands off each other."

"So?"

"So, it's like pouring kerosene on a raging bonfire."

Tristan smirked. "Now that you mention it, it's an excellent analogy."

"Can you just have her call me back?"

"Okay, seriously. Just tell me. There's no way of telling how long she'll be. You know how she gets in project mode."

"Which do you want first?"

"Bad."

"Gwen called me yesterday, from the hospital. She fainted at work."

"What?" he stiffened. "Is she okay?"

"She's fine. She's on bed rest, which means she's bored and restless, but she's fine."

"Thank God. And you wanted to tell Rory this? We'd have a hole in our roof," he pointed out.

"I was planning on leading with the good news with her."

"Which is?"

"We, uh, made a pit stop on the way home from the hospital."

"Pit stop?"

"Justice of the peace."

"Oh no."

"What?"

"You can't tell Rory this."

"What? Why?"

"She can't handle this again," he said without thinking. "Not right now."

"Again? I've never eloped before," he began.

"No, not you specifically, I just meant," he swallowed and tried to think of a way to explain this away. "Will sort of, got married."

"Wait, Will? When?" Jess yelped.

"Last week. But no one knows, so you can't tell anyone, especially Luke or Lorelai."

"You're shitting me."

"I wish. He told Rory, and I thought she was gonna crack. It's one of the reasons we're down here. She'd been dealing with the move, then the whole Luke/Lorelai thing, now this," he sighed.

"New plan. We'll wait."

"Good plan. Saner plan."

"Oh, before I forget. Your mom called your house."

"Why does no one call my cell?" he asked, exasperated.

"Hey, all I know is she called and got Jake. Told him to have you call her when you got in."

"All right. I should go check on her. We'll see you guys Friday when we stop to get Ambrose. Jules still grounded?"

"Damn straight," he snorted. "The curfew thing is getting old. I may lock her in her room 'til she's forty if she keeps this up."

"Teenage girls, man. It's like our karma coming back to bite us on the ass."

"This one better be a boy. I'm better with boys."

"Tell her to feel better for us, huh?"

Jess smiled. "I will."

"And congratulations. We should all go out and celebrate."

Jess laughed. "Wouldn't that require telling Rory?"

"I'll do it. Expect a frenzied call tonight," he chuckled.

"Thanks, man. For taking bullets and everything."

"We all do what we can," he said, and with that hung up. Jess was finally getting to work in New York, just before it was time to leave the office, but feeling better for being able to share his news for someone other than his children. Tristan however, flipped through his contact list and dialed the number attached to the Parents file. He got their answering machine and left a short message for them to call on his cell or he'd just talk to them when they got back home.

Rory stuck her head out of the bathroom and smiled. "You've very chatty out here."

"You were eavesdropping?"

She shook her head. "Couldn't hear much over the running water. Wanna come see your surprise?"

One side of his mouth curled in pleasure. "Maybe. You didn't draw a bath, did you?"

"There's this big Jacuzzi tub. It was begging to be used."

"You did the girly thing with all the bubbles and candles, didn't you?"

She just smiled. "Who was on the phone?"

"Nothing that can't wait 'til after my surprise."

"Smart, smart man."

He tossed his phone onto the jumble of covers and half-jogged to meet her, making her squeal at the way he joined her.

XXXX

"This is a disaster!" Will groaned, sliding onto Dave's couch. Mallory set a beer in front of him on the coffee table and offered Anna one.

Anna stared at the beer. "Do I really look bloated?"

"You're listening to Billy?" Dave took the beer from his wife and forcibly placed it in his sister's hand. "Unless…."

"Oh, shut up," she said, twisting the top off and taking a fast swig. "Happy?"

"Hey, you're married, get as knocked up as you want now," he joked.

"We're gonna have to tell them," Will said, seemingly ignorant of the whole side conversation that was going on around him.

"Yes, but there's a time and a place for that kind of confession, and it's called a death bed," Dave patted him hard on the back. "Unless you have a death wish."

"It's Mom. I know it's Mom. Dad's ready to run to the courthouse, any courthouse, right now."

"She'll come around," Mal said, sitting down on the arm chair at the corner of his side of the couch. "She just needs a little more time to wrap her mind around it."

"We have to nip this in the bud, before Dad gets on her side. We need to all go over there, lock the doors, like an intervention!" Will shook his hands animatedly as he got more worked up.

"There's a rec center on campus, I can just stay longer each day and hit the machines," Anna said, standing behind Will.

"She's just so stubborn. We need to overwhelm her, without overwhelming Dad," he said independently.

"Well, at least you know where you get it from," Dave put his arm around his sister's shoulders.

"Maybe a juice fast. Before the wedding."

"Oh my God, enough!" Mallory announced. "Now, I know this is all complicated, and I know it's driving you both crazy, but if you keep this up, we'll all be in straight jackets and no one will be getting married," she let out. "Or, remarried. Or, whatever."

Will leaned his head back to rest it on the back of the couch, in effort to see his bride. He snaked a hand up and took hold of hers. "You look beautiful."

"Your parents are going to come around," she smiled as she offered him the same comfort in kind.

"That's better. Now, drink and forget about it. Just for tonight. You can't do anything about it until they agree, anyway," Dave suggested.

"Right. You're right," Will said, sitting up to take a swig of his own beer. "But if I were you, when you go to rent the tuxes, I'd see if they come in white with really long straps," he joked, earning him a light bop on the head with the palm of Anna's hand. He jerked it down and kissed it.


	62. Chapter 62

"So, are we going back today?" Rory leaned against her husband's shoulder as the sat on the hood of his BMW. He kissed the side of her head.

"Tired of me already?"

"No," she denied adamantly. "But you have to admit, it's rare for us to get even a night alone together lately, with no kids, no job, no real life interfering," she ticked off.

"And the call from Jess would be," he led.

"Jess' real life. I haven't seen the pink end of a stick for many, many moons," she reminded him. "And I can't believe you weren't going to tell me."

"We're vacationing. Correction, we were vacationing until you started bugging me about getting back."

Rory shook her head. "Fine. Let's stay forever and ever," she teased.

He turned her chin up with one hand and kissed her, thoroughly making her rethink her level of sincerity. She kissed him back until she was sure sitting there for the rest of their days wouldn't be the worst option in the world.

"Maybe not forever," he said when he finally pulled back. "I was thinking tomorrow morning."

"Works for me," she said, leaning back toward his lips again.

His cell phone rang a few minutes later, and he attempted to use one hand to reach it in his pants pocket while the rest of him remained focus on her. He managed to extract it by the third ring, but his lips were still against hers.

She giggled against him. "It could be important."

"It could be someone else calling to tell us they got secretly married. We need to talk about our image. Clearly too many people feel comfortable confiding in us."

"And you have such a trustworthy face," she frowned playfully as he answered his phone.

"Oh, hey. I tried to call you back. Jake's home alone. He's in high school, he's not eight—and if you recall, we never used a nanny. … No, I'm not being argumentative, I'm just answering all the questions you're throwing at me," he sighed, and mouthed M-O-M to Rory. She gave a little wave, her way of saying hello.

"Rory says hello," he nodded back at Rory. "So, what--," he cut off and sat up so straight that it looked like his spine had been replaced with a steel rod. His face paled slightly and she slid off the hood to stand in front of him as his eyes went blank.

"I see. Yeah, yes. I will. I understand. Anything else we can…?" he swallowed.

He hung up a second later and stared off at the space past Rory, off the side of the big hill, the entire city that was below them. His eyes flicked up, as if he was noticing her suddenly.

"Tristan, what's going on?"

"Mom called back," he said with a dry mouth. "They're back in Hartford."

"At the house?" she wrinkled her nose. They sometimes spent part of the summer in Hartford these days, but the majority of their year was spent on the coast near Wilmington, North Carolina. They'd been planning on making a trip to visit in a few weeks after they got their house in order for guests.

He shook his head. "Hartford Memorial."

"Tristan," her hand went to her heart. She put her other hand out to his. "What is it?"

"Dad, he's sick. I need to go," he swallowed.

"Sick? We just saw them at Ella's graduation, he was fine," she rationalized.

"Mom said it was cancer, that it was aggressive, and it might have spread," he shook his head. "That he's asking for me."

"Let's go get Jake—we can fly up this afternoon," she grabbed his hand. He nodded, not moving from the hood of the car. She squeezed his hand hard and stepped closer to him. "I want to tell you it'll be okay, and everything will work out," she hoped her voice wouldn't break as he gave her a sad smile.

"It's real life."

"Let's go," she tugged on his hand a little bit and took the keys as he stood up. He slid into the passenger seat as she began to do all she could to take care of him.

XXXX

Anna held the basket on one arm as she picked up a bag of chocolate chips and let out a yawn. Lying down under the crook of Will's shoulder hadn't resulted in her getting any amount of sleep the night before. Her mind had reeled from one topic to the next—getting Will's parents to agree to the vow renewal ceremony, the two papers that were due in the next week for school, keeping enough food in the house so they didn't die before the wedding.

She slid to the next section of shelving and considered the cans of soup.

"It's a chicken and noodle day," came a voice from behind her, making her hand fly to her heart and her heels peel off the floor.

She turned to see Lorelai, who immediately extended her hand going out to her shoulder and gave a giggle. "Sorry, I didn't mean to startle you. I was over in the cookie aisle and saw you over here."

"Oh, I didn't even see you," she said apologetically.

"Yeah, you looked about a million miles away. Unless you were meditating on the chocolate chips, which I know your mother has been known to do," she paused. "But you have that look on your face, like chicken soup is in order. Is Will sick, too?"

"Oh, I'm not sick, just didn't get enough sleep last night," she admitted sheepishly.

"Did something—oh," she shook her head. "Sorry. I'm not quite used to the whole you living with my son thing. I'm used to asking you personal questions whose answers aren't wildly inappropriate for me to hear," she bit her lip.

"It isn't anything like that," she assured her. "I just have a lot on my mind—school, Will, the wedding…."

Anna noticed the basket full of cookies—Oreos, chewy chocolate chip, Devil's food and snicker doodles, that her unknowing mother-in-law was clutching.

"I know the feeling."

Anna nodded. "I mean, don't get me wrong, I love Will, and I'm excited about the wedding, it's just, with school, it's a lot."

"Hon, if it's too much too soon, tell him. Will's reasonable, he'll understand if you want to wait 'til you're both done with classes. You're both so close to being done."

Anna shook her head. "No, I don't want to put it off—and he really doesn't want to put it off."

Lorelai smiled. "It's nice, though, him being so insistent on wanting to marry you so much."

Anna nodded. "It's the same way Luke feels about you."

Lorelai looked down. "He just wants to rectify the situation. Just like when he found out I was pregnant with Will."

Anna noted the tone of her voice, and immediately felt overwhelmingly sorry for her. "You don't really think that—he's always been so in love with you. Even if you hadn't gotten pregnant with Will," she began.

"I guess. I mean, that's why I said yes. I said no to Rory's dad, when he asked, because I knew it wouldn't work. We were too young, and even if he really did love me, no way did he want to marry anyone, you know? I knew Luke was in a place in his life where he wanted to be married, and I knew he was really okay with the pregnancy," she smiled tightly.

"You know we're not, right?" Anna asked in a low voice, knowing that there were always eager ears in the market of all places.

"Not what?"

"Pregnant. I mean, it's not that we don't want kids, some day, but not—it's not why we're in a hurry."

Lorelai nodded. "I'm really happy you guys are getting married, no matter when it happens. And your mom and I are ready to do everything you guys want, especially if it means you guys get to sleep and eat," she smiled.

"I appreciate that. I should be writing a paper, cooking dinner, and studying for a test right now."

"Why isn't Will shopping?"

"He's at work, has a project due, and stayed up cleaning the apartment before I got back from work last night."

Lorelai held out her hand. "Give me your list. Your mom still has a copy of the key to the apartment, right?"

"I can't let you--," she started.

"Just go to the library, get some studying done. When does Will get off work?"

"Sixish," she admitted.

"So, be home around sixish," she instructed.

"You're not gonna cook are you?" Anna frowned.

"God no," she shuddered. "But I am going to shop and make sure you have a fabulous dinner for two waiting for you."

Anna hugged Lorelai. "Thank you so much."

"It'll get easier. Now go before I change my mind," she gave her a nudge and stood holding the two baskets of junk food until Anna was out the door and piled a few cans of chicken noodle soup into one of them and continued her shopping.

XXXX

This was getting out of hand. Not so long ago, Ella had been able to go back to her own room after a long day of classes, finding anyone who might be hanging out there to be a welcome break from the rigors of Ivy League life. Now she was on constant alert, careful of what was said and asked of each of her closest friends. Each seemed to be hiding something, and she had to admit the lack of sharing hurt, not to mention how tiring it was all becoming.

After her awkward conversation with Grey and a downright bizarre exchange with Rosa in which they both described their day as 'fine' knowing it was anything but, she found she could take no more. Figuring the 'something' Pax and Rosa weren't discussing was shared, she decided to handle her own issue with Grey first. She finished her dinner—a bag of Fritos and a two-pack of Hostess cupcakes—in a study cubicle, and then she walked directly to the boys' dorm room and knocked on the door.

She couldn't help the gasp that escaped her as Jasper opened the door. She hadn't seen him in days, since the Linzey experiment, and he looked somehow different to her. He was in jeans and a white undershirt—the looser button-up he tended to wear over it disposed of thanks to the warm sun that caused milder than normal temperatures for this time of year. She knew she was currently, and quite suddenly, warm herself.

"Uh, hey," she managed, praying he wasn't noticing the blush creeping across her cheeks.

He smiled. "Hey."

"You were gone," she stated the obvious—a trick she'd learned from her mother, to dig herself out of speechlessness, not caring it did nothing for her looking dumbfounded.

"I came back early, actually."

She frowned. "Have you been hiding out?"

His smile grew. "Just taking care of some things on my own."

"So, how was the wedding?" she steered the conversation to keep it light, unlike their last cryptic conversation.

He scratched the back of his head. She mentally approximated if he'd gotten a haircut, or anything she could pinpoint that was making him look even more attractive than he normally did. Boys always looked imperceptibly better after a trim, but she couldn't tell no matter how long she stared at him. She blushed harder as he clearly caught her gazing.

"Not horrible, at least the parts that didn't involve my mother's conspiracy to inform the groom's family of the shotgun status of the proceedings."

"Conspiracy?" she clarified.

He fought back the laughter that was no doubt in his throat. "She had no verbal confirmation, just her gut feeling and several apparently obvious clues. She finally got to the receiving line and offered congratulations and politely asked the bride when she was due. The groom's mother passed out when my idiot cousin automatically spit out her due date, and the groom's father chased his son out of the church. Elizabeth, my cousin, began bawling and Mom was just watching it all, cackling as it got worse and worse."

Ella blinked. "Remind me to never piss your mother off."

He nodded. "I'm sure you have nothing to worry about."

She looked up at him. "Was the cake at least good?"

He shrugged. "Dunno. I was talking to my grandmother, and she helped me sneak out before the cake was cut."

"She sounds stealthy. What was the hurry? Cake's the best part," she teased.

"It was too loud, too chaotic, to think, and that's what I needed. I came back to an empty suite."

"Oh."

"So, have you had dinner?"

She looked up at him, as more words that surprised her left his mouth. "Oh. Um. Actually, I just came to see Grey."

"Oh?" his eyebrow hitched.

"Yeah. About homework," she lied. "There was a note, on our assignment for Russian. I didn't understand it."

Jasper smiled even wider. "And you think he did?"

She shot him a look. "You never know. So, he's not here?"

He shook his head. "The place has been practically deserted since I got back Saturday night."

"Wait, since Saturday?"

He nodded. "So, do you want to grab dinner, or do you have lots of Russian brooding scheduled?"

She blinked. "Uh," she was forced to smile at his words, but couldn't help hearing the nagging voice that reminded her of her prior resolve she'd had to finish her purpose for coming here in the first place.

"We can get off campus—I'll drive."

"Well," she was so ready to comply, but a vision of dinner turning into her collapsing into bed well past midnight—too late to catch Grey—and resulting in further moments like the one they'd shared since the near-kiss fiasco made her give pause.

"I'll be broody and speak in an outrageous Russian accent," he demonstrated, making her giggle. "Help a guy out," he added. "What's it gonna take?"

She sighed. "The last bit sealed the deal," she continued to recover from her giggle fit.

"Then let's go," he grabbed her hand and moved them out of the room.

Talking to Grey would just have to wait, she thought to herself as she found herself fingering the note she'd brought along with her to confront him with, safely tucked into her pocket as she sat in Jasper's car on the way to dinner.

XXXX

Ambrose knocked on the slightly ajar door to his father's office. He could hear fast typing in between bouts of long pauses. A sure sign his father was writing. He and Jules used to be terrified to interrupt the process, having seen the frustration that came from breaking his line of inspiration. Jess had taken to leaving the door slightly open when it was okay to stop the flow and shutting it when any pause would likely result in pain by whoever inserted it.

"Yeah?"

Jess's fingers didn't stop moving, nor did his eyes glance up from the computer screen.

"Is now an okay time?"

"Gwen need something?"

"She's napping. It's pretty quiet in here."

"Hence the writing," he nodded.

"I can come back," he offered.

"Just… hang on," he typed a few more words then hit the save icon. When his eyes came up off the screen, he nodded. "What do you need?"

Ambrose held out the printed off pages of the first draft of his college essay. "I was hoping for some professional feedback."

Jess frowned as he took the papers in his hands. "Seriously?"

"Is that a bad idea?"

"No—I'm just surprised, I guess. Would you rather have someone else read over it?"

Ambrose shook his head. "You're the best, right?"

Jess's smile hitched up higher on one side. "It's not that I doubt my prowess here, it's just these things tend to be really personal."

He nodded. "Nothing I wouldn't have told you over a beer on my twenty-first birthday," he shrugged.

"Okay then. Bring me a beer and I'll get right on it," he looked at his son seriously.

Ambrose broke out into a smile and backed out of the room. "Sure thing, Norm," he joked, jogging down the hall to retrieve refreshments before returning to the front room to finish watching the episode of _Grey's Anatomy_ his stepmother had fallen asleep watching.

XXXX

Ella was sitting alone at a wooden booth in the back of the pub, waiting for either the server to bring drinks or Jasper to return from the bathroom. She picked up the bar and dessert menu that was posted against the wall and began reading over descriptions of warm, gooey concoctions that were guaranteed to please when her cell phone rang. Sighing, she pulled it out and looked at the ID, hoping it was something she could ignore. She saw her parents new home number glowing back at her, and she flipped it open.

"Hello?"

"Els?"

"Hey, Jake, look, can this wait," she began.

"Grandpa's in the hospital," he cut her off.

She went still. "What?"

"Grandpa Tom," he clarified. "Mom just called, they're on their way to pick me up. We're flying to Hartford as soon as they get home. She asked me to call you, something about driving and not wanting to upset Dad more," he explained.

"Is it serious?"

"Bad enough for Mom and Dad to rush up there. Mom was calling from a rest stop, and she hadn't talked to Grandma, Dad did. Apparently he's pretty shaken up."

"So, they're at Hartford Memorial?"

"Yeah. Mom wants you to meet us there; she's thinking we'll get there about eight or so."

"I'll be there," she promised. "Thanks for calling," she added.

"See you later," he added before hanging up, leaving her sitting in the booth and staring into space as the server placed two drinks on the table and Jasper slid into the position across from her.

"Let me guess—they brought your regular soda instead of diet?" he teased.

She looked up at him and blinked. "My brother just called. My grandfather is in the hospital."

His face grew somber. "Is he…?"

"I don't know. I just, uh, I have to go."

He nodded. "Okay."

"How much does a cab cost from here to Hartford?"

He shook his head. "Just grab your stuff, come on," he stood back up and waited for her by the side of the booth.

"What?"

"I'm driving you. Let's go."

"You don't--," she sighed, but saw the look on his face and nodded. She stood up and put her arms around him. "Thank you."

He leaned his head against hers and hugged her back. "Anytime."

XXXX

"You guys want any food for the plane?" Jake asked as his parents settled down at their gate, having another half hour before the next flight to Hartford was to start boarding.

Rory looked to Tristan, worry creasing her forehead. "You should eat something."

He just shook his head. She sighed and turned to Jake. "Get us two coffees and a hamburger for me. Hang on," she picked up her purse and rifled through it for her wallet, extracting two bills and passing them to her son.

Jake wandered off in search of food and drink, leaving his parents to sit relatively alone. There were a few people in the surrounding gates, but they were the only ones so anxious to head to Hartford. She put her hand over her husband's, and he turned his hand over to squeeze hers hard.

"Did your mom say anything else?" she bit her lip, worrying the same spot that was beginning to grow tender.

"Just that they'd already done surgery, and they were waiting."

Rory nodded. "That's good. They wouldn't have done surgery, unless there was a chance, right?"

He shrugged. "I guess. Mom's always been the sort to demand all they can do, no matter what."

She nodded silently again and ran her thumb over the back of his hand.

"Did you call Ella?" he asked suddenly.

"I asked Jake to," she assured him.

"Maybe we shouldn't have called her until we know more," he thought out loud.

Rory shook her head. "She'd want to be there. Remember when Janlan was in the hospital? Even when Grandpa was in the hospital for angina, I didn't want to leave his side," she pointed out.

"Yeah. And if she didn't get there in time," he cut off quickly, and Rory turned her head into his shoulder, her arm snaking around his shoulders.

"She will. And so will we."

"He called me, two weeks ago."

She didn't say anything, knowing it was enough to listen.

"I brushed him off, told him I was busy. Told him I'd call him back, but I forgot," his voice had an odd lilt to it, as if he wanted it to sound funny. "I've been so damn busy, I've been going off every day, leaving you alone, not really knowing what Jake is up to…."

"Stop," she demanded. "You've been working hard because you're advancing in your field. I'm fine, Jake is fine, and you're going to see your dad tonight. Do not blame yourself."

He nodded numbly. "It's just, we wasted a lot of years."

"That would only be tragic if you hadn't come back together. He's had more than twenty good years, knowing you, seeing you become a good man, knowing your family," she sat up, hitting her stride as she went on. "Even if the worst happens, and he's gone before we get there, no one can change any of that."

He leaned over the armrest and kissed her firmly. When they pulled back, Jake was walking up to them with full arms. Rory jumped up to relieve the contents of his hand and arms. She handed Tristan a cup of coffee, grabbed one for herself and one of the hamburgers he'd brought back.

"How's he doing?" he asked under his breath as Rory was in close to slide the burger he had trapped between his forearm and his chest into her fingers.

"We just have to get there," she closed her eyes for a moment. "He's kind of going into 'what if' mode, and once we get there, he'll see what's actually happening. How are you doing? We've never done this, the whole grandparent in health crisis thing," she frowned.

He shrugged. "It's not really real. Grandpa's so strong, you know? I mean, I think of him playing soccer with us, or eating a steak dinner—not hooked up to machines and stuff."

She smiled sadly. "That's good. Your grandfather is strong, and that's gonna help him through whatever this is."

Jake nodded and moved to sit next to his father. He pulled a bag of Skittles out of the mass of food and offered it to his father.

Tristan's face cracked into a smile as he wrapped his hand around the red bag. "Thanks."

"No problem," he said as they all fell into the rhythm of eating and waiting for the next step in getting there.

XXXX

"What do you think of Niagara Falls?"

Lorelai looked up from her book, having just gotten home from Will and Anna's apartment—where she and Sookie had stuffed their freezer with a couple of weeks full of dinners, and more than surprised her son by being in the middle of setting the table full with lit candles and fresh-cut flowers. He'd stopped and stared at her, earning only a smile and kiss on the cheek as they gathered their equipment and empty bags and left him to wait for Anna.

"You want to send Will to Niagara Falls for a wedding present?"

Luke shook his head. "I was thinking of our honeymoon. I hear if you go on the Canadian side, you skip out on a lot of the touristy crap."

"Huh," she looked back down at her book.

"Or we could do something like Atlantic City," he moved to lift her heels and sit on the other end of the couch. He took one foot between his two hands and pressed it between his palms to begin a relaxing rub.

"Sure," she said noncommittally, not lifting her eyes from the print, though she found herself rescanning over the same sentence for the third time since he started talking.

"We really enjoyed the island scene last time, but I figured we'd want something different. I guess I could finally let you drag me around Europe for the shopping trip of all shopping trips. I can hold your purse while you buy out Paris."

She put the book open against her chest and looked up at him. She gave the best smile she could offer. "Luke."

"You probably have something all mapped out," he said, his voice full of hope.

"I think we should wait," she sighed, hating to say it out loud to him of all people.

"But the kids said they want to do this soon, so if we don't start now, it's going to be," he began.

"I don't want to get married with our son," she blurted out.

"Lorelai," he began in his most diplomatic of protest voices.

"No, Luke. Nothing you can say is going to make me change my mind."

"I know you're upset about all this," he reasoned.

"It's not even that. It was one thing to get married because I was pregnant with him, but the thought of a double wedding with one of my children, it's just," she shook her head, not quite grasping the right word for how much she was against the idea.

"Get married because you were pregnant?" Luke singled out.

"We'll get married, eventually, but everyone keeps saying that no one knows that the last one wasn't legal, so what does it really matter how long we wait?"

"Because I want you to be my wife again," he said quickly.

"I was never your wife before!"

"Lorelai," he growled.

The phone rang, and she unfurled her legs and made her way to the phone, taking a moment to stare at Luke in silence. She knew he wanted her to let it go to the machine, and not talk to Sookie about whether or not she should serve mashed sweet potatoes or garlic mashed potatoes tomorrow, thus drastically changing the main course.

"Hello?"

"Mom?"

"Rory? I was going to call you—your brother has decided to get married soon, it looks like you're going to have to make a trip home soon," she put all her best material at the beginning, allowing her to move down the hall into the kitchen where she could really talk.

"I'm in Hartford," she countered.

"Connecticut?"

"How many other Hartfords do you know?"

"I thought you and Tristan were on some lovey-dovey side trip, so you could be naked for a few days without impressionable eyes around."

"We were. There was an emergency," she began, in the dreaded slow way that people give news—even bad news that turns out okay—letting the person on the receiving end stew in the worst part for an elongated moment.

"Is Ella--," she hedged.

"Ella's fine. It's Tom. Elizabeth called us, told us to come. We just got here, Tristan and Elizabeth are talking to the doctors."

"What happened?"

"I'm not completely sure the extent, but they found cancer in his prostate, and they operated this morning, but I don't know if it spread, or if they got it all. I'll know more later. Ella met us here, with one of those frat boys."

"You have a tone. You don't like the frat boy?"

"It's Finn's kid."

"Are his fingernails black?"

"Did she tell you she had a boyfriend?" Rory asked in hushed tones, as if the kids might be right over her shoulder.

"She didn't mention anything to me," Lorelai promised. "Maybe they're just friends."

"He came to the hospital with her, Mom," Rory groaned. "Tristan is so not up to this."

"How's he doing?"

"He's… quiet," she paused. "Hey, do you happen to have a couple of rooms available at the Inn?"

"We're down to one, Hon—there's a Dental Convention in Woodbridge this weekend and we're overrun with freaks who floss three times a day and have blindingly white smiles," she groaned.

"Sounds like fun," Rory frowned.

"But we can take Jake here, and you and Tristan can have the room—it's the one closest to the kitchen," she offered.

"I never understood why that was considered 'undesirable,'" she pondered.

"You and me both," she agreed. "You want me to come out and pick you guys up?"

"No, you don't need to bother, we'll rent a car or have Ella drop us off," she sighed.

"I don't mind, and Ella should get back to school," she offered again.

"Are you okay?"

"Me? I'm fine," she feigned.

"You're offering to come to Hartford and back late at night after working all day with orally fixated guests," she pointed out.

"Fine, rent a car, but I'm waiting up for you, making hot cocoa, and may just head over to the Inn to make sure you guys get settled."

"Waiting up and making cocoa yes, but you're not coming over to tuck us in," she shook her head.

"Can I tuck Jake in?"

"He hasn't let me tuck him in for seven years," she had to laugh. "Last time I tried, he informed me that I was infantilizing him."

"Well, sometimes we need to be babied, especially at times like these," she sympathized.

"Yeah. I'll call you when we're on our way to Stars Hollow."

"'kay. And if you need anything else. At all."

"I understand you're willing to flee your home at a moment's notice. Thank you, and thank Luke for me, too."

"Luke?"

"We're crashing his night, too, right?"

"Oh, right."

"Are you sure you're okay?"

"I'm fine. Just, give everyone my best. I'll see you soon."

Lorelai hung up, took a breath, then marched back into the living room, where Luke was watching a baseball game. He noticed her presence and muted the set.

"So," he sighed.

"So, that was Rory. Tristan's dad is in the hospital, they're in Hartford, and we're putting Jake up for the night. I'm gonna go get the room ready."

He nodded blankly as she turned back down the hall then hung his head in defeat.

XXXX

Ella sat next to Jasper in the waiting room, just holding the cup of coffee he'd gone to get for her and her grandmother. Once they'd gotten there, she'd gone in to see her still unconscious grandfather, hugged her grandmother, but now her father and grandmother had gone off to talk to the doctors while her mother no doubt got on her cell phone to make sleeping arrangements while they were in town. Jake came over and slumped into a chair next to her.

"So, you picked one?" he turned his head, motioning to Jasper.

"Excuse me?" she asked defensively.

"Ella," Jasper said in a soothing tone.

"I'm just asking a question. Or is it yet unanswered?"

"I'm going to force feed you cafeteria food," she threatened.

"Ahem," Rory turned on her heel and faced the suddenly wide-eyed children. "So, Jake, you're staying at Mom's," she doled out. "I assume you're headed back to Yale?"

Ella nodded.

"Good. I'm sorry, I'm blanking on your name," Rory held out her hand to Jasper.

"Jasper Wellington," he offered.

"Right, Finn's kid," she nodded. "How's your dad?"

"Out of trouble for the most part," he grinned.

"Mainly thanks to your mother I assume?"

"You do have him pegged."

"I knew Logan in college, briefly. Finn always made events more memorable."

Tristan walked out with his arm around his mother's shoulders, and Rory moved away from the small talk that was going no where in terms of finding out the nature of her daughter's escort.

"How is he?"

"I'm gonna go back inside," Elizabeth said quietly, leaving Rory in the middle of the hallway with Tristan.

"They're not sure yet," he shook his head.

"What?"

"They did the surgery, and it went well, but they need to do more tests to make sure it hasn't spread. They thought they saw something on a film, but they want to be sure," he shook his head wearily.

"So, we wait?"

He nodded. "We wait. This is killing Mom."

"Can I do anything? I could call Paris, see if there's anyone we should be calling for second opinions, or run and get something for her to eat?"

"She's not gonna leave his side, not now anyway. She says she's not hungry," he sighed.

Rory rubbed her hand over his back. "You want to stay with her for a while?"

"You and the kids should go," he kissed her temple.

She snaked her hand around his waist. "If you stay, I stay. I can get Ella and her friend to drop Jake off at Mom's," she offered.

"Mom?" Ella asked, having walked in a closer distance to her parents, but not so close as to intrude on their conversation.

"Yeah, Honey?" she gave the best smile she could.

"Is Grandpa okay?"

Rory looked at Tristan before answering. "He's had surgery, he's just resting right now."

"Grandma said he'd be fine, but she had the 'don't upset the kids' voice," she admitted.

"Did you drive?" Rory asked.

Ella shook her head. "My car's in the shop, Jasper drove me."

"Your car's in the shop?" Tristan asked. "What happened?"

"It was making a whiny sound," she shrugged. "So, I was out with Jasper when Jake called, and he offered to bring me up here."

Rory waved a hand, hoping to distract her husband. "Do you think he'd mind dropping Jake off at Mom's and seeing you back to your dorm?"

"Where are you guys gonna stay?"

"The Dragonfly, but we're gonna stay here for a while, keep an eye on your grandmother."

"I want to stay, too," she demanded.

"I'll come get you if anything happens," she promised.

Ella looked at her parents for a beat, then nodded. She leaned up and hugged her father. He let out a deep breath and hugged her back, his head resting on top of hers. The trio walked over to the waiting boys, and Ella looked at her brother.

"You're coming with us, runt," she attempted normalcy.

Jake stood up, showing off the extra inch and a half he'd grown and the muscle he'd gained. "We're gonna have to work on the nickname thing," he shook his head.

"No matter how big you get, you'll still be my little brother," she reminded. "And currently, my charge."

"Do we have to go?"

"You're going to Luke and Lorelai's," Tristan instructed. "We'll come get you in the morning. When will your car be fixed?"

"I can bring her back tomorrow, or whenever she wants," Jasper offered.

"And you would be?" Tristan asked, in no mood to get into niceties.

"Jasper Wellington. I believe you know my father, Finn?"

"Oh, god, seriously?" he turned to Ella.

"Daddy," she narrowed her eyes and furrowed her brow. "Be nice."

Tristan sighed. "Sorry, that's very generous of you to offer. You guys go on," he waved his hand, and the kids said one more round of goodbyes before moving down the hall toward the elevators.

Rory tugged him down into a chair next to her. He leaned his head back against the wall and covered his eyes with his bridged hands.

"They were on a date, weren't they?"

"I don't know," she answered honestly.

"I have a sneaking suspicion that I've entered my own nightmare," he let her in on his thoughts.

"And I'm there?"

"You're about to tell me you're cheating on me," he offered.

"Right. Well, I hate to rain on your delusional parade, but I'm very much in love with you and haven't even looked at another man for decades now."

He uncovered his eyes and looked at her. "Tell me everything's going to be okay."

She took a deep breath in and considered his request. "Everything's going to be okay."

He nodded and recovered his eyes, and they sat in wait for his mother to come back out of the room.

XXXX

"Have you seen our freezer?"

Anna took the plates from the dinner table and rinsed them off before putting them in the recently emptied dishwasher. Their entire apartment had been tidied and attended to. When she got home from finishing her paper, she found Will at the kitchen table, which had been set romantically complete with flowers and gourmet food. Both of their mothers had a hand in this set up.

"Something we're missing?"

"Not unless we're expecting a large army," he shook his head and held the door open for her to peer into.

"Oh, wow."

"So, what exactly happened before you went to the library?"

"I kinda ran into your mom at the market," she bit her lip. "She wanted to help us out."

He just raised an eyebrow.

"We got to talking, about the wedding, and how busy we are, and how she wants to help us out anyway she can."

"Did you tell her that agreeing to get married would help us out?"

Anna looked down. "Don't get mad."

"Why would I get mad?"

"I agree with your mom."

"Ann," he closed his eyes.

"Hear me out!" she put her hand on his arm. "She was talking about how great it was that we're so in love and can't wait to get married, and how it doesn't matter how fast we push it because we're doing it because we can't imagine being with anyone else."

He blinked and shook his head. "So?"

"So, she kind of let on that the first time they got married, she felt like Luke only proposed because you were on the way, and now he wants to do it to 'rectify' the situation," she hedged.

"That's insane. Dad wanted to marry her eight years before they started dating!"

"I'm not saying I don't think your parents should get married," she assured him. "But I think until your mom is sure that your dad wants to get married because he can't live without her—not just to fix what he sees as a problem—that maybe they should wait."

Will crossed his arms and looked at her, but she could tell he was lost in thought. She wasn't sure if talking about this would just make him mad, but she knew not telling him wasn't an option.

"You mind if I take off for a while?"

She looked at him in concern. He stepped up to her and kissed her cheek. "I know they meant for us to have a quiet night in, but if that's really how Mom feels, I have to talk to Dad."

"Can't it wait 'til tomorrow?" she looked up at him.

He shook his head. "I won't be too long."

With that he grabbed his car keys and left her alone in an immaculate home and for once in a long while with nothing better to do than worry.

XXXX

Grey wasn't returning her texts. Her roommate had been gone mysteriously all day with no note or message. Jasper was seemingly MIA, and even her secret boyfriend had been relatively absent since she left her room this morning.

Rosa hated night classes. She understood why an astronomy lab would be a night course, but so far they'd yet to actually look at real stars and frankly she wasn't sure the TA had ever had any social interaction of any kind. He spoke from his notes and the text book, never making eye contact. He didn't even pass out assignments; rather he just left them in a stack to be picked up on their way into class.

She'd been bored out of her mind for the last thirty minutes, listening to him drone on about the miracles that are supernovas. She breathed a sigh of relief when she felt her phone buzzing in her bag, the sign of a message. She pulled it out, looking at it under the table, expecting a response from her last page to her brother.

_Meet me outside._

She frowned, scrolling to the next page with the phone number it'd come from. She saw the familiar number of Pax's cell phone. She typed back with swift fingers.

_Can't. Class._

Another buzz came a second later.

_There are REAL stars out here._

She had to smile. She tossed her books into her bag, got up, and walked past the TA who kept droning on without seeming to realize he was losing one of his flock.

She found herself not running, but not walking slowly down the hall either; rather a strange mixture spurred on by excitement. She'd expected a late night visit from Pax once she got back to her room and they were sure Ella was asleep. She rounded the last hallway and emerged out into the cool night air.

He was standing on the grassy patch between the quad of buildings. He had a bag at his feet and a small telescope set up behind him.

"I'm having a very _Walk to Remember_ moment here," she teased. "Which one of us is dying?"

"I was thinking about our first date," he pulled up his bag and pulled out a blanket, which had been folded into eighths. She walked up to him and let her bag slide down to the ground where his had been.

"We haven't had a first date," she corrected him.

"I was thinking about how it should be big," he ignored her mocking.

"Not a dinner and a movie kinda guy?"

"How we had to be careful about who sees us, and wondering if we should head to New York—trying to come up excuses that no one would question about us both being gone," he pulled out a small gift bag and set it on the blanket. He stepped up to her and gave her a kiss by way of greeting.

"You do a lot of thinking."

"You'd just left your room, and I was eating and trying to come up with the perfect idea."

"Oh, really?" she mused. Hearing that he was thinking of her definitely perked up her day.

"Then Ella showed up."

She paled. "Had you—I mean," she grappled for words.

"I was fully dressed, except for socks and shoes," he looked down at her with a grimace.

"Oh, this is bad."

"Not so bad. I asked her not to mention it to you, that you said it was cool for me to raid your Power Bar stash," he shared his lame cover.

"She so did not buy that," she buried her head into his chest.

"Anyhow, after thinking about it all day in class, I realized not only was putting it off making me distracted, but I was just plain tired of waiting."

"Hence the telescope?"

"And the present. Don't forget the present."

She smiled and kissed him. "I would never forget the present. So, you picked campus for our first date?"

"I figured it was the one place no one would look for us."

She rolled her eyes and sat on the blanket. "No dinner and no movie. How ever will you entertain me?"

He picked up the gift bag and set it in her lap. She quirked her head and put her hands on the edges of the bag. She pulled out the tissue paper and unfolded it. Inside she found a Peanuts Valentine, circa fifteen years prior. Woodstock was hanging mid-air, and flying rather precariously due to the weight of the heart he was carrying for Snoopy. Turning it over, she saw her childhood handwriting, addressing Pax as her Valentine.

"Mom found that, when she was moving some of my old books a couple of months ago, and she sent it to me, she thought it was funny."

Rosa looked up at him.

"And I've been thinking about this for a long time, so part of me took it as a good sign and wanted to believe because you gave me that when we were five that somehow maybe you wanted this too," he smiled. "But the part of me that realized you had never said anything of the sort to me kicked in so not only didn't I show it to you the way my mom intended, but hid it in a book in the back of my closet."

"But you're giving it to me now," she whispered.

"I was hoping you'd want to be my Valentine," he whispered back.

She leaned in and kissed him. "That is the sweetest, cheesiest thing I've ever heard."

"That's exactly what I was going for."

"So, you're planning on showing me the stars?"

"I was thinking you could give me a lesson, what with your knowledge of all things heavenly," he murmured in her ear.

"Okay," she giggled and stood up, careful to tuck the old Valentine in its bag. She offered her hand to him, and mock-heaved him up to a standing position. She looked in the telescope to position it and offered the view to him. "We start with the Big Dipper," she said as he peered into the lens, ready to listen to her instruct him on ancient myths on their very first date.


	63. Chapter 63

Rory arched her back, in effort to ease the ache that had formed over the night in a foreign bed. She never thought of herself as being incapable of adapting quickly, but the last time they upgraded their mattress, they'd gotten the adjustable firmness mattress and the one at the Dragonfly was much firmer than her side of the bed. She was nearly twisted back onto her other side before she realized there was no one else in the bed.

She sat up and looked at the attached bathroom, looking for light or any other signs of occupation. She saw only darkness, the grayish light of predawn filling the room around her. He'd been in bed with her when she woke up three hours prior—though she could tell he wasn't asleep. He normally slept like the dead, but the entire night prior he'd shifted and twitched, in futile efforts to find a position of comfort.

She murmured under her breath as she got out of bed, wondering to herself where he could have gone at first, and words of thanks as she found only one bathrobe on the hook on the opposite side of the bathroom door and the keys to the rental car on the nightstand where she'd let them drop. It was a short trip from their room, lit only by the ever present Tiffany lamp at the front desk, to the mostly dark kitchen. She found him slumped over the center island prep area, bathed in light from the glass-doored refrigerator, eating milk and cookies.

"Some places kick you out if they catch you stealing so blatantly."

"I'm sleeping with the owner's daughter."

"Actually, she woke up alone."

He held out a cookie for her. "I warmed them up, as directed."

"As directed? Did the cookie doctor leave you a prescription?"

He nodded and held up the note from Sookie—the best cookie doctor around.

"I love Sookie," she smiled softly as she sank down on the stool next to him and bit into the warm cookie, so soft that the barest pressure crumbled the dough and released the gooey chocolate over her tongue and teeth.

"I tried to sleep," he admitted with frustration, though he wasn't aiming it at her. "I curled up around you, breathed deeply, counted sheep," he shook his head and took another bite of comfort.

"You should have woken me up," she frowned in worry.

"You looked so peaceful," he put his hand over hers.

"I thought I was hanging out with you," she squeezed his hand.

He leaned in and kissed her cheek. She could smell warm chocolate on his breath.

"I was afraid you'd left again without me."

"He looked small, didn't he?"

Rory bit her lip at his shift of topic. "He was … thinner," she was careful of her adjectives.

"I can't believe they let it get this bad without telling me."

She set her half-eaten cookie on a napkin. "Your mom said he didn't want to bother you, with the promotion and the move and sending Ella off to Yale."

"That's crazy."

"I told her as much," she said gently.

"I'm their only son; did they really think I'd be too busy to care?"

"I don't think that's what happened," she soothed.

"Did she say something else to you?" he probed.

"No, it was just," she tilted her head as she trailed off.

"Just what?"

"I just know that if I were in her position," she looked up at him quickly then looked away as she continued, "I wouldn't want to tell the kids right away if you got sick. Telling them would just make it more…."

"Real?"

She nodded and wiped away a stray tear. "Cut them some slack."

He wrapped his arms around her and they sat together at the counter in the dark. "You want to come back with me today?"

"On one condition," she exhaled against his chest. "We go back to bed and rest for a while. You're exhausted."

He kissed her head again. "Deal. I should be clear-headed when I grill my daughter's new boyfriend about the best places to keep his hands."

Rory's grin covered her entire face at hearing her husband sound like his normal self. She stood up and held out her hand, ready to lead him back to bed.

XXXX

Pax closed Rosa's door silently, holding his shoes in one hand so he wouldn't make any noise with rubber soles on the wood floor. He'd roused slightly when Ella came in just a few hours prior and noted now that her door was soundly shut with little danger of her waking up.

It was the third door that he hadn't yet begun to worry about that opened before he put his hand on the knob.

His best friend eased through the door carefully, with the same attention to dampening noise, and with full hands nonetheless. Jasper's expression changed in an instant as they both stopped short and stared at each other.

Neither spoke at first, but when Jasper finally did, it was way too loud.

"What are you doing here?"

Pax held up a hand and looked back at Ella's door, listening for movement. His friend moved closer to him and rephrased.

"Were you with Ella?"

Pax opened his mouth, and then shut it again. "I don't believe I'm going to say this, but I plead the fifth."

"You can't plead the fifth!" he whispered harshly.

"I really don't want to get into this right now," he shifted his shoulders, noticing that he was still holding his shoes, which hadn't been on his feet since he and Rosa had returned from their first ever date. A faint smile covered his face as he recounted the events of the night in his head, before Jasper jolted him back to present reality.

"How about a week from next Tuesday?" Jasper offered, clearly not amused.

"What about you?"

Jasper instantly quieted. "Just stopping by to pick something up."

"With two coffees?"

Jasper narrowed his eyes. "What do we do, then?"

Pax nodded. "Well, we could both come out and tell the other exactly what is going on," he stressed the word exactly, "or I could go out that door, and we could pretend we never saw the other one."

"That second one doesn't sound so bad, huh?"

"I was leaning toward it."

Jasper nodded. "Is everything okay with you?"

Pax nodded. "Yeah. You?"

"Yeah."

"Okay then," he nodded and carried his shoes through the front door. Jasper frowned at Rosa's door before stepping swiftly to Ella's, cradling a cup of coffee in one elbow and sliding in, careful to wake her with the smell of coffee and not the noise of his approach.

XXXX

Jules sat on her brother's bed, but received no response in kind. She half stood with bent legs and sat down harder, shaking the entire mattress. He groaned and rolled toward the wall.

"Am," she poked him through the blankets.

"Goaway," he murmured into his pillow.

"Wake up," she whined, positioning herself for another bounce.

"Time?"

"Seven."

"Goaway."

"I'm bored!"

"Go be bored in your own room," he instructed, flailing his arm over his head.

"I've been bored in my room, in this apartment, for the last week."

"Not my fault."

"No," she smiled evilly. "But you can help take the edge off."

"I don't want any part of this," he pulled his pillow over his head.

"You haven't even heard my plan."

He sat up, thereby shrugging off his pillow as it fell from his face to his chest, where he held it with one arm. "Nothing good ever comes of you having a plan. You only have another couple of days left, and then you can come and go as you please."

"I'm going crazy," she picked up his other pillow and smacked him with it.

"A tidge melodramatic, aren't we?"

"It's just breakfast. At Mac's," she added, naming his favorite diner.

"Mac's?"

"And I'm paying for you," she sweetened the pot.

"So, you just want to take me out to breakfast, just to get out of the house?" he clarified.

She nodded and looked down to inspect one hand. "Just you and me and whoever might stop in. It is New York City, after all. You never know who you might run into."

"You're not serious."

"It's a big city," she pointed out.

"I'm not chaperoning a date for you. Not even if you asked Dad, got his permission, and he agreed it was the only way you could go."

"I'm not going to ask him, he'd only say no!"

"Which is the main reason neither of us are leaving this apartment."

"You're on his side? It's not like you've never broken curfew before," she crossed her arms.

"No, I don't have the best track record, but I'm doing pretty well now, and if I help you and get caught, there is no way Dad will agree to my going after Early Admission."

Disgust filled her features. "I can't have an omelet with my boyfriend because you want to get into a kegger sooner?"

"That's not why you can't see your boyfriend, and you know it. You can't lay all your problems at my doorstep—Dad treats us individually. I've been punished for breaking the rules, and now so are you."

"I was only late a couple of nights," she defended her actions.

Ambrose sat up, sighed, and looked at his sister. "Are you having sex?"

"Are you?" she used the same parental tone back at him.

"How is that even relevant?" he frowned.

"Exactly what I was thinking," she shook her head at him. "You don't have to break curfew to have sex. We've just been losing track of time, that's all."

"It's an easy thing to do, when your shirt's on some guy's floor board."

She stood up. "He's not some guy!" she yelled too loudly, then reconsidered her tone, lest her father show up. "He's my boyfriend."

"Did he tell you he loves you? Is that what this is about? Jules, guys will sometimes say things, just to accelerate certain activities," he was clearly a little uncomfortable as he navigated his way through this particular chat.

"No!" she glared at him, but then instantly softened. "And Court wouldn't do that."

"Tell you he loves you?"

"What if he doesn't?"

"Then… he doesn't," he shrugged.

"Have you ever told someone you loved them?" she asked.

He nodded.

"Did you mean it?"

"Look, Jules," he shifted uncomfortably. "Sometimes it's an easy thing to say, in certain moments."

"During sex?" she said quietly.

He nodded.

"What about when you want to say it, but aren't sure when the right moment is?"

He frowned. "What?"

"If you want to say it, and the moment doesn't feel right, how do you know when to say it?"

"You want to know how to tell him you love him?"

She nodded.

"I can't answer that," he said honestly. "Telling people you love them is tricky."

"You just said it could be easy."

"It's easy if you know it's what the other person wants to hear," he pointed out.

"And if it's not?"

He didn't meet her eyes. "You really want my advice?"

"Yes," she said without hesitation.

"Don't say it first."

"So, if he never says it," she led.

"Or says it to get you in bed," he added, his eyes narrowing.

"Then I just don't ever tell him?"

"It's a lot of pressure," he tried to explain the best he could. "If you say it to him, he has two options."

"Go on," she sighed.

"He can say it back—whether he means it or not," he added for good measure, "or he just stops taking your calls."

Her mouth dropped open. "He wouldn't do that."

He raised an eyebrow. "You know that for sure?"

She hesitated. "Can you find out for me?"

"Nope," he said immediately, shaking his head. "Remember me saying I was staying out of this?"

"So, you'll tell him to get lost, but you won't find out if he's serious about me?"

He leaned his head back against his head board, hard. "Fine. I'll talk to him. But at school, not today at breakfast."

She nodded, happy to get some sort of consolation out of her brother. "How about I make omelets here?"

He threw off his covers, extending his pajama pant covered legs until he made contact with the floor. "Come on, I'll help."

She threw him a grateful smile and they made their way threw the still quiet apartment to the kitchen to surprise the adults with a full breakfast.

XXXX

Lorelai listened to her best friend discuss the cost of quality tomatoes and the fact that they would actually earn more by having the reputation for only accepting the finest ingredients, no matter the cost of out of season vegetables.

"Aren't they in season?" she interrupted.

"Ohmygod! I totally didn't think you were listening!" Sookie looked at her in surprise.

"But aren't they?"

"They're a summer vegetable, Sweetie. I mean, for us, they are in season year round, thanks to Jackson's greenhouse."

"So—Jackson is raising his prices?"

"That's what I was trying to tell you!"

"But—he's your husband! We don't get some sort of matrimonial discount?"

"He's married to me, not the Dragonfly."

"Fine, what about long-time customer standing? Does that count for nothing these days? I put Jackson Melville on the map! I took a chance with him back at the Independence. If it weren't for me, he wouldn't have half the jobs he has in the area," she pointed out.

"He hasn't raised his prices in ten years, Lorelai. We agreed back when we opened that we'd support the local businesses," she looked a little concerned at her partner's argumentative turn. "Do you really want me to find another produce guy?"

"No, of course not," Lorelai took her mug of coffee into her hands and nursed it.

"Because I can… it might cost me my marriage. I'd have to think of a way to break it to Jackson that I was sampling another man's tomatoes," she bit her lip.

Lorelai nearly lost the coffee that was in her mouth and swallowed awkwardly. "You so didn't just say that," she giggled.

"We're sticking with Jackson?"

She nodded. "Of course we're sticking by Jackson. We love Jackson. And his tomatoes," she giggled.

"Then what's with the disconcertion?"

"It's Luke," she sighed.

"Honey," she shook her head, clearly ready to give her opinion.

"No, listen, okay?"

Sookie nodded and began slicing tomatoes.

"It's just, we were discussing the wedding option, before I got the call from Rory last night about Tristan's dad, right after I'd gotten home from our little raid at Will and Anna's, and he was giving me the full-court press," she stared into her mug.

"He wants to be your husband," she managed to get out, despite her accord to be silent.

"But after we got the call, he helped me get a room ready for Jake and didn't bring it up again. He was just there for me, for Rory and Tristan, Jake," she sighed. "He just let it go I and got me through the night. I lay in bed, feeling so bad for Elizabeth, wondering how she was coping—wondering what I'd do without him. I wanted to talk to him about the wedding again, but he didn't bring it up, so I just kissed him when he left for work and came here."

"Lorelai," she empathized.

"He's my husband, Sookie. I don't care what it says at City Hall. Without him, I just don't know what the world would be like."

"You love his tomatoes," Sookie nodded in agreement.

"Yeah. I do."

"So, tell him! He'll be thrilled."

She smiled. "I'll talk to him. Should I call Jackson, outraged at the price hike?"

"Absolutely!" she cooed coyly, getting back to business as usual at the Dragonfly Inn.

XXXX

Ella took a sip of her coffee and yawned. She laid her head down on the shoulder to her right and put one hand over her mouth as she slowly closed her lips again.

Jake shrugged her off. "Shouldn't your boyfriend be the one getting the joy of your company?"

"He's not my boyfriend. And he went to get medical supplies."

"Got a rash, does he?"

Ella glared. "Something about surgical gloves for his mother. It was too early, not enough caffeine in my system to comprehend words," she explained.

"Ah. Well, you must like him, or you wouldn't subject him to this," he pointed out.

"He showed up, offering a ride. My car's still in the shop. He can go whenever he likes—it's not like he's obligated to stay with me. He's really not my boyfriend."

"Yeah, guys just show up to girl's place all the time, offering to face their entire family in a hospital situation, for no apparent reason."

"They've been in there a long time," she changed gears, mentioning the lack of their parents.

"You should be glad. If Jasper touched your arm one more time, I think Dad was going to go ape shit."

"Lovely," she rolled her eyes. "Dad doesn't have a problem with Jasper."

"Keep telling yourself that."

They sat in silence for a moment, looking at the double doors their parents had walked behind some thirty minutes prior. Jasper came back and sat down in the row of chairs they were still parked in.

"Successful?" she asked with a wry grin.

He patted the inside coat pocket. "Always. Dear old Mum will be thrilled. Any word?"

Jake shook his head. "It's gotta be bad."

Ella smacked his arm. "Don't say that."

"Good news doesn't take this long to give."

"That's not necessarily true," Jasper countered. "It depends on the person telling it. Some people give you all the details of why it's good before they actually give you the news proper."

"Well, Grandpa Tom had cancer, so if it bears an explanation, it's about treatment options, which means it's bad," Ella said quietly, and Jasper slid an arm supportively around her shoulders.

"I feel like we should be doing something," Jake said, his leg bouncing in anticipation.

"Like what?"

"I don't know. Getting flowers or food, or whatever you do in times like these."

"All we can do is wait. I want to go in there and just be with him," she admitted.

"Yeah. There have to be treatment options, right? That's probably good, it doesn't mean it's the worst possible news."

Jasper nodded. "That's right."

"Unless they're just in there, trying to figure out how to tell us," Ella's pessimistic side came out of her mouth before she could stop it.

Jasper pulled her back against him a bit, and no one spoke again for a few minutes.

"They were going to come up for my birthday," she said, seemingly randomly.

"Well, technically, there're here," Jake pointed out.

"It's not my birthday for another week or so," she worried her lip with her teeth.

"When is your birthday?" Jasper asked, nudging her with his knee.

"October fourth," she shrugged.

"It is not," he replied.

She looked at Jake. "Why would I lie about that?"

Jake stood up. "I can't be around this mating ritual anymore," he headed toward the cafeteria.

"What if they come back?" she called out.

"Tell them I went for coffee," he shook his head, leaving her alone with Jasper. She smiled at him.

"It's really October fourth?"

She nodded. "Is that the day you slipped and hit your head on the toilet?"

He frowned. "What?"

"_Back to the Future_?"

"Flux capacitor. Got it. No, it's just, that's my birthday, too."

"Shut up," she crossed her arms and heard the faint crinkle of the envelope she'd shoved inside her jacket pocket, still confused about its contents.

"You want to call my mother? She loves to tell the story of my birth. Apparently, it was a harrowing experience."

"Or you could show me your driver's license," she laughed as she mocked him.

"Not going to happen—no one sees my driver's license picture."

"Why not?" she narrowed her eyes at him.

"There was an … unfortunate incident."

"An unfortunate incident?" she laughed, forgetting her surrounding for a moment as he shifted uncomfortably in his plastic hospital chair. "I'm sorry, if you're going to use that line as an excuse, I need to hear the story behind it."

"Hearing the story is the same as seeing the picture."

"So, it's a long story?"

"What?"

"A picture is worth a thousand words. That's a long story."

"Not particularly long," he shrugged.

"Just embarrassing?" she snickered.

"I can get you proof that my birthday is October fourth, if that's what you want."

"I am not calling your mother," she stuck a finger out at him.

He pulled out his cell and dialed a number as she silently shook her head at him. "Here," he held it to her as it rang. She grabbed it and looked at the display, seeing the name Rosa and instantly settling down.

"Hello?"

The voice on the phone was not Rosa—nor was it female. She faltered for a moment, long enough for the other person to speak again.

"Jas? You there?"

"Um, hi. It's me."

"Ella?"

"Yeah," she bit her lip and looked up at Jasper, who was clearly trying to figure out what had prompted the insertions of awkwardness.

"It said Jasper," he said.

"Isn't this Rosa's phone?"

"Yeah," he admitted. "I found it, but not her. I take it she's not with you."

"No, we're at the hospital in Hartford."

"Is everything," he began, but she cut him off.

"We're fine. It's a family thing."

"And Jasper's there with you?"

"He, um, gave me a ride."

"Oh."

Silence lapsed for a moment, and Jasper nudged her.

"Right. So, I can't talk to Rosa?"

"What'd you need? I can pass on a message, if I ever find her. Which I need to do, by the way, if you talk to her first."

"I just wanted to know when Jasper's birthday was."

A beat passed. "Isn't he sitting right there next to you?"

"Uh-huh."

"And he won't tell you?"

"No, he told me."

"You didn't believe him?"

"Just, tell me, would you?"

"It's October fourth."

She glanced at Jasper, a little taken aback that it hadn't been a hoax. "Huh."

"That's really the reason for this phone call?"

"I had to verify it," she sighed. "And he wouldn't show me his driver's license."

Jasper made to take his cell phone back, but she held tight as Grey continued talking.

"Well, you can't blame him, after the unfortunate incident he had."

"Which was what, exactly?" she hopped up and began walking as fast as she could away from Jasper, who was very intent on prying his phone away from her.

"I'm pretty sure he doesn't want me telling this story," he assured her.

"No, no, it's fine," she darted quickly, causing him to just miss her arm as he reached for it.

"Look, maybe my sister would tell you, but we live by a code in our suite."

"A code?" she asked.

"You know—no dating female relatives, any pizza or beer left in the fridge is fair game, no telling of embarrassing stories to the opposite sex or anyone not in the inner circle," he listed off.

"I'm not in the inner circle?" she pouted, for effect, causing both boys to pause.

"Can I speak with Jasper for a sec?" Grey's voice shifted slightly from pleasure to business.

"Um, sure. Hang on," she put the phone to her chest and looked at Jasper. "He wants to speak with you."

Jasper raised an eyebrow. "Isn't there something you're forgetting?"

"He won't tell me about your incident. Don't think I won't find out, just because I couldn't weasel it out of him."

He shook his head. "I meant, didn't you want to ask him about that note?"

She could still feel the stiff envelope inside her jacket pocket, especially as she moved to get 'away' from Jasper in the hall. "Uh, it can wait."

"It seemed pretty important last night," he said quietly.

"Well, priorities have shifted," she looked to the double doors, which everyone still seemed to be behind. "Not to mention, I don't have my Russian stuff with me."

"Okay," he said simply and took the phone from her. He had a very short, unreadable exchange, and seemed to be agreeing to see one another later on that evening.

He hung up and looked at her, then they rather solemnly walked back to the waiting chairs.

"Jasper," she began hesitantly.

"Yeah?" he leaned his head back against the wall and touched her arm gently.

"Els?"

Ella looked up to see her uncle coming down the hall toward her. She automatically got up and moved to hug him.

"Where's Rory?"

Ella pointed to the doors. "They're talking to the doctor's still. What are you doing here?"

"I came to get Jake," Will sighed. "Mom called and said she and Dad had something they forgot they had to do and asked if I could pick him up and make sure you had a ride back to campus, so Rory and Tristan could do whatever they needed to do."

"I don't think Dad will leave here any time soon," she nodded. "Jake hates hospitals; he's down in the cafeteria."

"That's not going to help endear him to the experience," Will noted.

"If he wants to take off, you can go," she informed him. "I have a ride," she said, not outright bringing Jasper to her scrutious uncle's attention.

Will raised his eyebrows. "Ah. I don't think I've met you," he offered a hand to Jasper.

"Jasper Wellington."

"Will Danes. Ella's uncle."

"Uncle, really?"

"It's a long story," Ella dismissed it.

"A thousand words," Jasper nodded, holding back his smile as best he could.

Ella ducked her head to hide her smile when she caught Jasper's eye, and Will questioned them. "Am I missing something?"

"Inside joke. Seriously, go find Jake. We'll wait here for Mom and Dad to come out."

He nodded and gave them a once over with his eyes. Ella pointed for him to go, and he walked off, leaving them alone again.

She snuck a look at Jasper, and he looked at her questioningly, but said nothing. She leaned her head against his shoulder, just letting her body relax for the first time in twenty four hours. She hadn't gotten true sleep the night before at all. He slid an arm around her and began softly humming a low tune.

"Jasper?" she finally ventured again, interrupting the moment she was enjoying a little too much, based on the facts she had in her possession.

"Yeah?"

"Thanks for bringing me."

"Just rest," he instructed, going back to his soft tune as they waited further information from her family.

XXXX

Rory looked at Tristan as they stood in the doctor's office. Elizabeth hadn't moved from her chair after the doctor left to give them time to talk. They were supposed to meet him in Tom's room to discuss the test results with him.

"There's nothing to discuss, is there?" he said after a moment.

"Tristan," his mother sighed. "Don't do this."

He turned to her, stunned. "You're telling _me_ not to do this? How can you even go along with this decision?"

"It's what he wants. We've been discussing the possibilities for weeks now," she spoke calmly.

"Yes, the two of you have been discussing it for weeks," he stood up, still looking at his mother as she remained stoic in her chair.

"Tristan," Rory moved to put her hand on his arm, warning him.

"It's okay, dear," Elizabeth assured her, ready for her son's reaction.

"How could you not tell me?"

"This has been a very hard time," she began. "And if it turned out to be nothing, we didn't want to put this on you."

"I'm your son," he reminded.

"This is happening to him. It affects the rest of us, but it's him that this is happening to, and I'm going to stand by whatever he wants to do. And he, for starters, didn't want to burden you. He felt that he'd put enough pain in your life in the past, and he wanted to make this as easy on you as possible."

He hung his head. "And not fighting, that's what he thinks is going to be easiest on me? And what about you? Doesn't he want to fight to stay around for you?"

"The doctor said there was a chance of recovery," she consented and held up her hand when his mouth opened. "But it's a very slim chance. The cancer has spread, and if he goes through chemo, what extended life he has will be spent in pain," she shrugged her shoulders. "He doesn't want that."

Tristan sighed. "It's just fear."

"It's not fear. He's past fear," she looked up at him. "This is about living whatever time he has left as well as he can."

Tristan looked at Rory, who looked like she was just barely keeping it together. Elizabeth got up out of her chair and turned to face him. "Are you coming?"

"I… can't. Not yet," he crossed his arms.

She nodded. "It's okay. When you're ready, then."

She left the room, and Rory continued to look at Tristan through welled-up eyes. She ran her tongue over her upper lip and swallowed hard. "Tristan."

He looked up at her. "I can't right now."

"I know," she moved to put her arms around his waist. "But if they're waiving treatment, they'll release him soon," she rested her cheek against his chest.

"I know."

"So," she breathed in.

"Two months, Rory."

"I know. It's awful."

"I want to do something, to be there," he closed his eyes.

"We'll do whatever we can," she assured him.

"I want to move closer."

She pulled back. "Closer?"

"Back to New York."

"Tristan, that could take months," she flustered.

"I can put in for a transfer, after taking a leave of absence," he said with thought. "And you don't have to quit anything—you could probably still get your old job back."

"Okay, slow down. What about Jake?"

Tristan ran a hand through his hair. "I need to be closer to him right now," he stated.

"And that's fine. Just take a leave of absence, come up here. I'll stay with Jake in North Carolina," she offered.

"If Jake wants to stay, we'll figure it out. We'll give him the option, but I want you up in New York with me. You were happier there anyway, and I can't do this if you're not around."

"This isn't about where I'll be happy," she sighed. "This is hard."

"I'm coming back up here. I need you with me."

"But Jake," she shook her head.

"We'll figure out what's best for Jake. I promise."

She sighed and nodded. "Okay. We can probably stay at the Dragonfly, for now, until we can find a place."

He really wanted to suppress the words that were coming up in his throat. He had no idea how she was actually going to take the fact he'd kept the house thing a secret, even if it was to make her happy, and he didn't feel up to a fight. They walked out into the hallway, immediately seeing their daughter resting her head against her chauffeur's shoulder, and Will rounding the corner with Jake, both of them carrying three cups of coffee.

"Will?"

"Hey, sis," he moved up to hand her and Tristan coffee while Jake handed off cups to Jasper and a newly awakened Ella. She smoothed her hair and took the cup, happy to put the lid between her lips and not discuss her pseudo-nap with anyone. Jake raised his eyebrow at her, but thankfully was quiet as they listened to their mother talk.

"What are you doing here?"

"Mom sent me, to take care of the kids if you need me to."

Rory nodded. "We all need to talk."

"Why don't we go get everyone some real food?" Jasper stood up and directed his comment at Will.

"Sounds like a plan," he said, hugging his sister again before they moved off down the hall, leaving the Dugrey family to chat.

"You two should sit down," Rory encouraged, looking at Tristan to start the conversation.

Ella and Jake did as instructed and watched their father as he pulled up a chair and sat in front of them, running a hand through his hair for the tenth time that morning. He was trying to keep it together, telling Rory this was all going to work out, but the bare facts were; he just didn't see how yet.


	64. Chapter 64

"Have you heard from Luke or Lorelai?"

He found himself amused at her sudden and frantic manner; not because he was an ass that didn't care about anyone, but because he was sure she was freaking out for no good reason.

"Most people start these things with identifying themselves or a proper salutation," he cleared his throat.

"Hello, Jess. How are you?" she asked sweetly, though he knew she would strangle him if given the chance.

"Lovely, Rory. Just lovely. And yourself?"

"I'm at the hospital. I repeat, have you heard from Luke or Lorelai?"

"What is it with women and hospitals?" he asked mainly of himself, or God perhaps, but it was only really her that thought she was supposed to give an answer.

"What?"

"Are you okay?"

"I'm fine. It's Tristan's dad," she bit her lip and paused, not sure what else to say at the moment.

"Not good?" Jess nodded.

"No," she confirmed. "So much is going on. I need to talk to Mom, and I can't reach her or Luke. Caesar is at the diner, but he," she cut off.

"Doesn't know anything?" Jess supplied.

"You know Caesar," she sighed pitifully. "Tom's bad, and Tristan's freaking—he wants to move up here."

"Can you even do that?"

"Apparently." She was still in shock and mainly just needed to talk to someone about all that had changed in her world in the past few hours. She looked at the hospital room door that Tristan had disappeared behind, what seemed like hours ago, in effort to spend some time with his father. She wasn't about to interrupt that just because she was on the verge of a nervous breakdown as her thoughts spiraled into millions of 'what if' scenarios.

"How long does the guy have?"

"They're not sure. Not long."

"So, why doesn't Tristan just take a sabbatical?" Jess proffered.

"He just immediately jumped to moving. Like it was the most sensible, easiest option. But Jake is in school down there, and, oh Jess, he loves it," she sighed like a proud mother. "He's really settled in, in such a short time. He misses Ambrose, you know, but I don't think he misses anything else about his old school. We can't just rip him out of there, and Tristan doesn't want me to stay down there while he's up here."

"Do you really want to move back to Connecticut?"

"Not Connecticut," she corrected. "That's what I thought at first, too, but he said we should move back to New York."

"That makes no sense."

"He said I could go back to work. I think he's trying to make me happy and be in reach of his dad at the same time. I'm not really sure what he's thinking—he's in with his dad now and I just, I can't pull him out of there now. I need to sort through this on my own first."

Jess nodded. "I'm glad Jake's doing so well. Am is really excited about this weekend. Should I still bring him up, or will Jake want to be with Tom?"

"No, definitely bring him up. Will picked Jake up a while ago. He's not good with hospitals. I think it'll be better for the kids to see Tom once he's back at home, not all hooked up to needles and tubes and things."

"Seems sensible."

"Let them have a nice weekend. I'm still hoping that more exposure to Yale will bring Jake around to the dark side," she grinned evilly.

"Speaking of which," Jess couldn't help but smiling proudly. "I have some news."

"I know you're married," she said pointedly. "And as disappointed in you as I am for not including me in the ceremony, I did want to congratulate you. And Gwen," she said with meaning.

"Well, first of all, thank you, but secondly, I don't see where including you was mandatory. A, I wasn't marrying you, and B, you were included in the last one and look how well that turned out," he joked.

"I don't think I was the determining factor in the success or failure of your matrimonial bliss. I, as you just pointed out, was not the one marrying you, either time."

"Very true," he agreed.

"So, are you happy?"

"I am. But I wasn't talking about my marriage."

"The baby?"

"Is fine. I'm talking about my first-born."

"How is my godson?"

"He's applying for early admission to NYU."

"Shut up!"

"I know, right?"

"That's so… wow!"

"I couldn't believe it. But he's got it so thought out, and he's got his application in. He's set to take the GED soon," he spurted out.

"Wow, Jess, that's amazing. But kinda hard on you, I'd imagine."

"Hard on me?"

"Well," she said softly. "It's not an easy thing, to watch your baby be all grown up and see them go off to college. I know with Ella, it was just so… momentous, you know? And to lose a year," she shuddered.

"Well, it's not like the cord was ever attached to me," he joked.

"You seem pretty okay with all of this."

"I am."

"Don't you want to see him graduate?" she edged.

"I hadn't really thought about it," he frowned.

"I know you think it's just a stupid ceremony, and that I'm biased because I was valedictorian, but I just figured, after getting your GED yourself, you'd want to see him go the whole nine yards. Mom was that way with me. My graduation day was envisioned and daydreamed about more than my wedding was when I was little."

"That's kind of messed up."

"You know what I mean."

"I do," he said stoically. "It's definitely something to discuss."

"It is awesome, though. How's Jules?"

"On house arrest."

"Uh-oh."

"It's this boyfriend of hers. Doesn't wear a watch."

"Ah, curfew trouble. It's the right age for it."

"It's not the curfew I'm really worried about. I've seen the way he looks at her. I don't care for it."

"Jules is smart. She's been through a lot, but that doesn't means she's going to have sex. And if she does," she was cut off by his very loud, very distressed groan, "if she DOES, then she'll be smart about it. She is sixteen."

"And he's eighteen. I can have him arrested."

"Yes, that would definitely make the situation better," Rory mocked him.

"How did you make it through the terrible teens?"

"I'm not done yet," she laughed.

"Ella's basically done and out on her own," he pointed out.

"Just think, you have to do this all over again," she was increasingly chipper. "What are you going to do when you're seventy and your fifteen year old comes home with a pierced nose and a twenty-year-old boyfriend covered in tattoos?"

"I won't be seventy," he grunted. "And I'll set him on fire and lock her in the basement."

"I can't believe you're going to have another kid."

"Me either, sometimes. Are you sure you guys won't have another one? Remember how fun it was to call each other at two in the morning, knowing we weren't alone in our misery?"

"I believe you and Tristan were doing the majority of the late-night phone calling. I was too busy feeding the tiny person that latched onto my body," she pointed out.

"They were nice days. We were so much younger then."

"You're gonna be fine. How's Gwen doing on bed rest?"

"Bored out of her mind. I thought I'd take her out, after I drop Am off at New Haven. I figure a low-key, romantic evening out won't do her any harm."

"Probably just the opposite," she concurred. "What about Jules?"

"I was thinking Luke was due to play uncle; let her work out the rest of her purgatory at the diner. She's technically done with her grounding in two days, but she owes me. I found a grey hair the other day."

Rory snickered. "Well, good luck reaching them. I've tried the diner, the inn, the house, both their cells," she sighed. "Will mentioned that they had something they forgot to do, but I can't get a hold of him, either."

"Will still has no cell?"

"He will not listen to reason. Jake's is off," she sighed. "He almost never remembers to charge the stupid thing."

"I'll try to get a hold of them, and you keep trying. They can't hide forever."

"Yeah. I just needed to talk anyhow."

"I'm not quite the sounding board Lorelai is," he conceded.

"You're not a bad second," she smiled.

"Such a compliment. You're not bad, yourself."

"You want me to have a chat with Jules?"

"It's my place. I've talked to Erin, and she promised to talk to her about it, too, though I think Ambrose has been doing his fair share of parenting as well," he shrugged. "I just don't want her to waste anything on some guy."

"You really hate him?"

"Actually, other than the whole undressing my kid with his eyes thing, I don't hate him. He's an okay kid. Polite, good student, athlete," he gritted the last word out.

"So, not perfect, but not horrible?" she half teased.

"I want her to be happy. Celibate, but happy."

"A noble wish. Good luck with that."

"I'll call if I hear from them."

"Yeah. See you at Yale?"

"Yeah," he said before cutting off the line. Rory looked up at the closed door then down the hallway. It was empty of familiar faces, as all her kids had gone off to cope a little and Elizabeth was signing release papers. She sat down in a hard plastic chair and held her cell in her hand, just waiting for something to happen.

XXXX

Ella had touched her food, but not a morsel had made it to her mouth. The brightly colored box sat in front of her, the toy still in the bottom and yet to be inspected, while her sandwich sat on the bright yellow wrapper. She picked up a golden fry from the little white paper sack and twirled it round and round in ketchup, making it look like it was bleeding out one end.

"Having second thoughts?"

Ella looked up at Jasper who sat in front of her under yet more fluorescent lights, having eaten two of his nine Chicken McNuggets and several French fries. "Huh?"

"I mean, you said you really wanted a Happy Meal, and that's cool, but we can go some place nicer, some place quieter, perhaps," he offered. "Or even back to the hospital, if you want."

"No, I'm fine, I mean, this is what I wanted. Want," she assured him.

"Just not hungry now?"

"Not so much," she sighed.

"Wanna talk about it?"

She smiled. "You're sweet. You dropped everything to bring me out here, and you've sat with me, and put up with my dad, who has no idea what's going on and still you've just been so good, and you brought me here," she looked down at her sandwich. "You've been really great."

She was past being on the verge of tears. One slipped down her cheek, and he leaned up out of his swivel chair and scooted into the small booth side seat next to her. He put one arm around her and pulled her to his shoulder.

"Hey," he said softly.

"I really appreciate it," she croaked out.

"I know."

"Nothing's been right lately," she sniffled.

"It's not easy to lose someone," he agreed.

"Not even just that," she breathed shakily. "Just everything, from the start of the year. I thought it was a miracle when I met Rosa, and all of you guys. But when I realized I was stuck between you and Pax, and what a mess I'd made of your friendship," she didn't meet his eyes.

"That's over now," he ran a hand over her shoulder. "Pax and I are cool."

"I never meant for that to happen," she swore as she looked up into his eyes. "Never."

"I know."

"It's just, since then, you haven't tried to make me feel guilty or be spiteful, or basically do anything but be so caring and concerned."

"Well, I care for you, and I am concerned as well," he played it cheeky.

"I'm so confused," she admitted.

"Why?"

"I don't know what to think."

"Sometimes thinking is overrated."

They were so deep in one of those moments that she couldn't have seen it coming if it were a Mac truck screaming down the highway, honking its horn at her. One of those moments that she couldn't tell which end was up or if she was really breathing—all she knew was exactly every single last inch of her skin that was making contact with his, how dilated his pupils were, and how they have flecks of gold in their irises that she hadn't ever quite noticed before. Breathing was completely overrated. Ella was pressed into his chest with the entirety of her left thigh melded against his right one while the temptation to rest her head on his shoulder grew thanks to the way his arm wrapped wholly around her upper torso, all under the guise of comfort, but comfort wasn't the emotion she was feeling. His words were saying kind, supportive things, but his eyes were five steps ahead of anything he was conveying with words. She wanted to lean up and kiss him, but she hasn't thought this out. She'd promised herself she'd see out the conclusion of this secret admirer that had more than caught her attention before getting swept up in anything else. Her gut told her that Grey was the secret admirer, and if she eased her body's current ache to press herself firmly against Jasper and satisfy all the feelings that refused to go away no matter how hard she rationalized them, then all she'd be doing was putting him in a ratty situation with another one of his best friends.

No way could she do that to either of these guys. Not again.

"He used to bring me Happy Meals."

Distraction was always a helpful tool.

"Who?"

"Grandpa. It took a lot of begging. In fact, every time we got dropped off at Grandma and Grandpa's in Hartford, Jake and I used to beg to be taken to McDonalds. They always served really fancy versions of kid food at the Dugrey mansion. Mac and cheese made with these green and white cheeses, those thick-cased brats instead of hot dogs, you know," she smiled at the thought. "These really thick-cut fries instead of the fast food thin sticks," she sighed. "Anyhow, they would occasionally give up and order us pizza. But I got sick one weekend, and I slept all day. When I woke up, Grandpa Tom came in with a Happy Meal. I told him it was worth being sick, and it was the yummiest thing I'd ever tasted."

"How old were you?"

"About five."

He nodded. "It takes a while to acquire a taste for rich people food. The first time my dad tried to get me to eat caviar, I spit it out all over my mom's new drapes. Boy, was she happy."

Ella smirked. "It became our thing, you know? As soon as I heard he was in the hospital, I wanted a Happy Meal. Like it would make everything all better again, like it did when I was little. Stupid, huh?"

"No, not stupid. Wanna take one back for him?"

She smiled. "You really are wonderful."

"But?"

"But nothing. I honestly don't know what I'd have done if you hadn't been here with me."

"My pleasure," he slid his other hand around her waist and pulled her into a chest-to-chest hug. She let her head have an excuse to rest on his shoulder and they sat there for a long moment, not talking at all. Her heart, however, was beating wildly.

"Our food's probably getting cold," he said at last, as they pulled back. He put at least two inches of space between them, barely still on the seat they shared.

"It's okay. I always just wanted the toy anyhow."

He smiled at her and handed her the cardboard box. "What are you waiting for? Collect your prize."

She took her free gift, unable to stop herself from thinking about the inevitable unveiling of whoever had been giving her gifts the last few weeks, and wondered just how hard it was going to be to reconcile her feelings for the secret admirer.

XXXX

Tom had been asleep since Tristan slipped in, so he sat in the chair his mother had been sleeping in the last past few nights, pulled up close enough that she could rest her head on the hospital bed despite the fact the staff had pulled a cot in for her to sleep on. She'd wanted to be next to her husband. Tristan couldn't blame her, as much as he told her she had to take care of herself now too. He'd be sleeping in a chair to be closer to Rory if he were put in the same position. He knew there was a time that his father had nearly died without the gift of family gathered around his bedside—nearly nameless in fact, just another cracked out, washed up loser that lost to his addictions. The man that lay in the bed next to him couldn't be remembered for his indiscretions now. He'd spent more than a lifetime being a father, a husband, a grandfather, and a friend to many. He'd gotten a do-over. And it was all Tristan could do to remind himself that he was grateful of that fact as he faced losing him now.

"Tristan?"

"Hey, Dad. How are you feeling?"

"Rested. I'm glad you're here. I wanted to talk to you."

Tristan held up a hand. "I've already been over it with Mom. I'm trying to be okay with it, but I don't need to hear the rationales again, okay?"

Tom nodded. "Being in here isn't living," he sighed.

"I know."

"Being at home will make this whole transition easier. Tomorrow I'd like you to be there, to go over some thing with me and my lawyer."

"Dad," he shook his head. "You don't have to worry about that now."

"You want to wait until I'm gone? Tristan, lawyers and probate muck things up, and you lose half of everything to court costs and filing fees. We have time, and I want to get things settled and distributed now."

"Tomorrow it is," he gave in, not wanting to discuss wills or inheritances or anything other than random, frivolous things. The fact that Ella was dating someone that she felt comfortable enough with to bring to a hospital or that Jake was playing sports at school. Things that involved life, not death.

"Where are Rory and the kids?"

"Rory's waiting for Mom, and the kids are getting some space."

"See? No one likes hospitals. I want them to feel comfortable enough to see me."

"We'll be here. As much as we can. We're not sure how we're going to get around Jake's school and game schedule, but Ella will be a short distance away, and Rory and I will be much more local from now on."

"You got another job transfer?"

Tristan shook his head. "I'll work it out."

"You just took on your own division. You can't transfer out now, unless you take a step back."

"Then I take a step back," Tristan met his father's gaze.

"I don't want that. I have weeks left, I won't have you throw away your future because of this."

"I'm not throwing away my future. These guys know me, they will understand. It won't be forever, it'll just be until something else comes along. And Rory hates it in North Carolina, anyhow."

"She was telling your mother how she liked walking on the beach. That she was starting to write a book."

Tristan shrugged. "I'm not saying she wouldn't get used to it in time, but she misses the family, she misses the fast-paced rhythms of being up north. She loved her job before. Now she's tolerating things. I'll take her to Maine to walk on the beach, and she can write her novel up here."

"Have you even discussed all this with her? I'll likely be gone before you can find a place to buy," he spoke bluntly.

Tristan looked down. "Actually, that's not true."

"You can't just buy any damn house and move your family at a moment's notice, Tristan."

"I, uh, sort of never sold the old one."

Tom raised an eyebrow. "Rory was telling Elizabeth how quickly you sold it."

"She doesn't know we still own it."

Tom closed his eyes. "Bad idea, Tristan."

"Dad, come on."

"I mean it. This is a big thing not to tell your wife. Or, should I say, to lie to your wife about?"

"I did it for her," he rubbed his forehead with one hand, pulling his fingers toward his thumb and wrinkling the skin there before smoothing it back out. "I wasn't sure how well the North Carolina thing would go, and we loved that house. She was getting so upset over leaving the place where the kids took their first steps and where we spent so many years," he sucked his bottom lip into his mouth and let his teeth scrape along it as he eased it back out. "I knew if I told her I was keeping it, she wouldn't give North Carolina a chance, you know, knowing we had a back up in place."

"What about you?"

"What about me?"

"Have you given it a chance?"

"It's… okay. I like running my own show. I won't say it's the same as being up north; I loved my old crew, my old boss. I miss being away from family, it's rough being so much further away from Ella. She doesn't get to come home except for major holidays."

"Sounds like my illness is just a last straw," he nudged.

"Kind of. I probably would have stuck it out a bit longer, but," he shrugged. "I don't know."

"How are you planning to break the news about the house to Rory?"

"Think she'd buy that it just happened to be for sale and exactly in the condition we left it in?"

Tom had to laugh as he shook his head. "You married a very smart woman. You're in a lot of trouble."

"Maybe I could stand behind you when I tell her. She'll be nice to you, and probably won't rip any of my organs out in front of you."

"Don't drag me into this," Tom held up his hands. "Anyone else know about your harebrained idea?"

"Lorelai."

"You might stand a chance at survival if she's really in your corner."

Tristan flipped his cell open and dialed. "You don't mind, do you?"

Tom just shook his head in amusement. "Not that I'm enjoying your pain, but I do thank you for keeping me entertained in my last days."

Tristan sighed as he listened to the phone ring and ring until at last an answering service picked up and let him leave the first of many messages.

XXXX

"There should be some sort of safety zone, you know, where something can't sneak up on you. It's like you're just sitting there, minding your own business, and BAM! Someone is oozing blood or some other bodily fluid that should remain inside their person."

Jake shrugged. "I don't mind the blood. It's the smell that kills me. It smells like disinfectant and old people."

"Old people?"

"Really old people. Like those that are on the brink of death. Maybe it's disinfectant and death I'm smelling."

"I vote for a definite change in topic."

"Right. So, where are we headed?"

"Well, you're staying with Mom and Dad, but they aren't around. So for now I'm your legal guardian. I figured we could have some fun."

"Strip club?"

"Some legal fun," Will injected.

"Damn," Jake smirked.

"I was thinking batting cages. I didn't peg you for the strip club type."

"What's that mean?"

Will shrugged. "You just hadn't struck me as girl crazed yet. Intelligent and athletic, yes, but you don't date much, do you?"

"Not so much in New York. I was kind of seen as Ella's little brother and therefore some kind of little brother type. Not a good way to get dates."

"I'd guess not."

"But in North Carolina, no one knows Ella. I'm just on the starting line up, and all the cheerleaders? They don't see me as their little brother."

"Nii-iiice," Will held out a fist, which Jake knocked into with his.

"It is."

"A little advice?"

"Sure."

"Enjoy it, now. High school is like, your ultimate chance to be a casual dater. Getting serious then just sets you up for heartache. You've got way too much to do, much sooner than you think."

"What Bree did to you was cold, man."

"Yeah. But if I knew then what I know now, I wouldn't have gotten so serious about her back then. I'd have known that college, even if we were going to the same one, was bound to tear us apart."

"You and Anna are still in college."

"We're almost done. The beginning of college and the end of college might as well be a decade apart. It's a time of really rapid, really defining change. Watch Ella as she goes through it. It might help for once, being her little brother."

Jake smirked. "She's not a bad big sister. I'll get over the stunted social growth."

"Good man. So, batting cages?"

"You're the driver," Jake agreed.

XXXX

Grey was doing the New York Times crossword when Rosa let herself into her suite. She stopped, looked at him, and frowned.

"What are you doing here?"

"Wondering where in the hell you were."

"Class. Ever go to one?"

"I have to talk to you. First of all, I have messages for you."

"You're my answering machine now?"

"Mom called. She wants to know if you're avoiding her in particular or everyone in general. I told her it was the latter. Dad called and said to call Mom. I repeated the same sentiments. Ella called and said she was in Hartford, she borrowed your grey sweater, and that she really needs to talk to you when she gets back. Then she called and wanted to know when Jasper's birthday was. I told her I'd pass on info if given the opportunity and answered the last question, in case that would suddenly make you feel obligated to actually call someone back. I've called about a billion times, though all of those messages are on your voice mail, which, by the way, is now full."

Rosa shooed him up off the couch. "Great. Thanks for having such a phonographic memory. You have to leave."

"I am not going anywhere. I need to talk to you, like dire straits."

Rosa sighed. "About what?"

"Where have you been?"

"Around," she waved her hand limply in the air for effect.

"Oh, and you had one more call," he suddenly remembered. "That guy from New York, Ambrose. Something about coming up for a visit this weekend, he sounded rather anticipatory."

"Ambrose?" she blinked. "Are you sure he said this weekend?"

"I'm sure. Now, down to business. I have a problem."

"You always have a problem."

"That's not true," he disputed.

"It is. Whether or not you recognize that fact is beyond my control."

He frowned. "I'm serious. You're the only one I can think of to help."

"Well, I am helpful, but I'm also running late," she urged him.

"Did you know Jasper is with Ella in Hartford?" he frowned.

"Is that really such a big shock?"

"Actually, yes," Grey supplied.

"Look, is this your problem? You don't even like Ella as more than a study buddy. You said she was a commitment type of girl and you don't do commitments. You do everything but," she pointed out, the look on her face something akin to judgment.

"Rose," he brought his hands up parallel in front of him, as if to ask her to focus.

Her cell phone rang, and she put one finger up to shush him as she whipped the phone up and open quickly.

"Hello?"

"Hey. Are you available?"

"Actually no. I think I may need to reschedule," she looked up at Grey, hoping her words would make sense to Pax and stay completely under her brother's radar. They hadn't had a date, but it didn't mean she wanted to discourage Pax from taking her off guard in the future. Especially when her brother wasn't around.

"You no longer find me attractive or my company enjoyable?" Pax mocked.

"Hardly. It's just something that has come up, unexpectedly."

"Another guy?"

"Yes. My brother."

"Oh, ask him if he's seen my running shorts."

"I will not," she informed him.

"But he's right there."

"I realize that."

"So, ask him."

"I can't do that."

"Rose, come on. I haven't seen the things for weeks."

"That's not the point," she tried to keep her voice even and calm as she spoke, so as to not tip Grey off that she was talking to a boy at all, let alone one she really liked—and especially not that it was Pax.

"What is the point?"

"I really need to get going. I'll call you to reschedule okay?"

"This is all because you don't want him to know it's me, right?"

"Exactly."

"He knows we talk. He knows we hang out alone."

"Not like this."

"True. But the weirder you act, and the more you try to cover it up, the faster someone's gonna catch on. Mark my words."

"I'll make note of that," she cleared her throat.

"I could play really unfair," he toyed with her. "I could start talking about how amazing you looked last night, out on the beach. How good you felt when I wrapped my arms around you, how your skin was so warmed by the bonfire, the way I could still taste the chocolate on your lips from the Smores," he started.

"I really need to go."

"Call me when he's gone. I'll be over the next minute."

"Okay, will do," she said, hating that he'd been so good at this impromptu lifestyle she'd thrust upon him by taking possession of his Day Timer. As far as she knew, he hadn't missed a class, an assignment, nor had they had anything resembling a cookie cutter date. He was working the spur of the moment thing. She had been hoping he'd come by after she got out of class, and he'd been smart to call ahead and make sure she was alone, but she could also tell he was out on his cell, on his way over. He wasn't trying to give her much notice. She slid the cell back into her pocket and looked at her brother.

"What?"

"You're glowing."

"I am not glowing," she rolled her eyes.

"Who was that?"

"Telemarketer. Now, you said something about a problem?"

"What do you know about this whole Ella secret admirer thing?"

"That she gets really cool gifts and the guy wants to meet her soon. I was personally hoping he'd gift her a sports car, or jewelry, something she could lend me," she shrugged. "But he's all about smaller than a breadbox and nothing really flashy. Pity if you ask me."

"But, she likes this guy, right?"

"Grey, she doesn't even know him. At least, she doesn't know that she knows him, if she does. That's the whole secret thing, get it?"

"I do understand the concept, yes."

"Wait, what does this have to do with any problem you have?"

"It's just, I can't find her, you know? I need to talk to her, but she's always getting gifts or off with Jasper or whatever."

"So, you needed to talk to me to tell me you need to talk to Ella?"

He nodded, wondering if he could pass that off as his actual problem. It was true, in kind.

"Didn't you tell me Ella called and wanted to talk to me?"

"Uh, yeah. So?"

"So…," she tapped his head with her finger. "If you had her on the phone, why didn't you just talk to her then?"

"I need to talk to her in person. It's not a phone conversation."

"What kind of conversation is it?" Rosa crossed her arms, wondering how long Pax would wander the streets before giving up and going home.

"It's about a project, in Russian, okay? I need some help, and she's the only one in the whole class that has a clue as to what that old coot is talking about half the time," he covered.

"Ah."

"Yeah."

"So, why are you telling me this again?"

"Well, you're her roommate. And you're my sister. I just thought you could, you know, alert me as to when she gets back."

"You live with Jasper, and he's with her. Why don't you just assume that when he gets back, she's back as well."

"I have a deadline, you know," he stood up, obviously irritated. "Who knows what Jasper coming home means? Just because he's with Ella right now doesn't mean he's going to be with her until he comes home. I mean, they're not glued together at the hip or anything," he pointed out.

"I realize that, Grey, but," she spoke calmly.

"But what?"

"But, come on. It's not like they haven't dated before. And now there's nothing really standing in their way."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"It means, that Pax has moved on, and if Jasper is the secret admirer," she shrugged.

"What makes you think he's the secret admirer?"

Rosa raised an eyebrow. "If it's not him, then who?"

Grey's shoulders slumped, and he stood up. "I should go."

Rosa looked concerned and followed him to the door. "What about your project, and the deadline?"

"I'm sure the tutoring center is still open."

"You still want me to tell you when Ella gets back?"

"I guess it's too late. I'll catch you later, huh?"

"Yeah. Later."

Rosa didn't immediately go for her cell phone after her brother left her room, looking oddly dejected and morose. She'd never seen him this way, at least not over school or a girl. She'd seen him that way when their father had taken away all car privileges two weeks after they got their drivers licenses, for taking off several side view mirrors during an attempt to parallel park. That made sense. But him being this upset about not being able to get face time with Ella…. That was truly baffling.

At last, her hormones reminded her that a very special someone was waiting and wandering outside her building in concentric circles, probably quite large ones so as not to be obvious about it should someone recognize him in his stalling. She called his cell and told him the coast was clear, giving him only a mild amount of grief about owning running shorts in the first place. Between Grey and Pax, the message from Ambrose was lost in the jumble for the moment.

XXXX

Tristan came out of the hospital room to find his wife still sitting in the chairs alone. She was wringing her hands, a sure sign her worry gears were cranking in overdrive. She stood immediately when she saw him and moved to hug him.

"I needed that."

"Did you two talk?"

"We did."

"Good."

"Hey, have you heard from Lorelai?"

Rory pulled out far enough to look up at him. "She's kind of MIA. You tried calling her?"

"To check up on Jake and make sure the Dragonfly could hold us for a few days."

"That was very conscientious of you."

"I'm a very conscientious person."

"I left a message with her cell, Luke's, at the house, at the Inn, at the diner," she ticked off the list, "Oh, and at Sookie's."

"I didn't think to call Sookie."

"She hasn't seen hide or hair of them either."

"Weird."

"Will said they had something they had to take care of."

"You think they flew to the Bahamas and eloped?" he pulled her closer just using his hand against the small of her back.

"I wish. They've left that subject kind of raw the night we came in. Mom's still against it, and poor Luke just wants to make her happy, even though he wants to get married as soon as possible."

"They'll figure it out," he assured her, kissing the top of her head.

"So, any insights as to our sudden change of plans?"

"We'll figure it out," he said in the same placid manner as before.

"Tristan," she pushed back a bit. "Did you talk to Jake?"

"No," he admitted. "He loves the new school. He's dating cheerleaders for God's sake."

"Well, if that's not a reason to let him stay," she rolled her eyes.

"Don't you want him to be excited about school?"

"Yes, I do," she crossed her arms. "He was doing fine in school before."

"His grades were fine. He was in no extra curriculars, and mainly he just hung out with Ambrose and a few other guys. At this school, he's involved in things. He's viewing school as a place he likes to be. Which is a much better breeding ground for wanting to go to college."

"He'd have a better shot at Yale if he transferred back to New York."

"He's proved his grades in New York. And he's a legacy. Technically, I can buy him a spot at Yale. I can donate a wing or a whole damn department."

Rory glared at him. "Isn't it stupid to commit to pulling him out of school when we still own a home in North Carolina, and technically you still work down there? It could take months to find another place in New York."

"Rory, let me worry about that," he pulled her back against him.

"No," she protested, staying her distance to look him in the eye. "You can't do this alone, Tristan. You can't push off your dad dying like it's nothing. You can't throw yourself into a major life change and deal with his death. You can't, and I won't let you. You have to let me help you through this. I can handle a little real estate dealing."

"I have no doubt you could," he leaned in and kissed her. "Sorry. Rant over?"

She nodded. "Rant over. But I'm serious."

"I know you are. And I love you. But I have a slightly better plan."

"I'm open to suggestion."

"We hold on for dear life and get through all this together."

She nodded into his shoulder. "Deal."

"Let's go back to the Inn and wait some of this out. Mom's taking Dad back home tonight, and she wants us to round up the kids and meet them at the house for dinner."

"Okay," she let out a long-held sigh. "I'll make Michel give us control of the computer, and we can look over the real estate pages online."

He shook his head. "Not today. Let's just, take a day. Let this settle."

She gave him a look, and he knew she wanted to say something platitude-y, something about an early bird or not putting off today what has to happen eventually, but she gave him a nod and walked along beside him as he made for the exit.

"Thank you," he whispered into her ear as they made their way back to their rental car.


	65. Chapter 65

Will woke up to the feeling of Anna stretching her body out next to him. Without opening an eye, he rolled over and wrapped his arms around her body.

"I was having the craziest dream just now," he spoke into her shoulder and kissed it lightly. "Your mom was throwing cakes at our window, trying to get our attention to tell us that we had to pick out a cake now because the wedding was tonight," he chuckled at the ridiculousness of it as the images replayed in his head. "Isn't that insane?"

Anna moaned lightly, trying to wake up, and snuggled into his chest. She stayed in her warm cocoon for several long breaths before tossing back her side of the covers and bolting out of the bed.

"Ann," he protested. "Where are you going?"

"To check the front door," she said as she pulled her robe around her and sprinted out of the room.

Will groaned and tried to decide if he should get up and follow her. Surely her mother wasn't really throwing cakes at their apartment window. Anna would be back in bed any second, ready to enjoy the few moments of their day that didn't involve real life—school, work, or rushed wedding plans. He had nearly convinced himself of this when he heard the front door open. His eyes peeled open, and he jumped out of bed, pulling on the jeans that were hanging over the back of a chair next to the bed and ambled out into the main room.

"No way," he blinked at the image in his living room.

"Here, you take this tray," Sookie motioned to Will, and he moved to help the girls out with all the trays Sookie had brought along with her. He peeked into the clear lid and saw very small, individually frosted cakes. At least six kinds on his tray alone.

"This is so weird."

"Mom, not that I don't love cake for breakfast, but to what do we owe this pleasure?"

"We only have two weeks, and you haven't picked a cake!" Sookie exclaimed nervously. "I was up all night, thinking about the two of you, and the possible cake and icing combinations, and before I knew it, I was up, calling Lorelai and I had three cakes done before I started to get worried," she bit her lip.

Will looked up from getting forks. "Worried?"

"Well, Cupcake, I can't find your mom."

Will frowned. "Can't find her?"

Sookie set down the last tray on the counter and took off the lid. "Start with the dark chocolate and raspberry torte," she gently lifted the dessert out onto the counter for them to taste.

Will waved his fork. "Sookie, what's going on?"

Anna forked off a piece of cake before speaking. When her mother said to eat, she knew to eat. "Maybe they're just with Rory and Tristan in Hartford."

Sookie shook her head. "I talked to Rory about three this morning. She hasn't been able to get a hold of her for a couple days now. At first I thought she was sick, or just took a couple of days away with Luke, but now," she took a forkful of her own of the swiftly disappearing dessert.

"What about the Inn? When she's upset, she likes to do overnight inventory," Will supplied, not liking the way Sookie was busying herself unloading cakes on the counter.

Sookie shook her head. "I had Tobin do a room-to-room hunt. He scared Rory to death."

Will blinked. "Are you actually saying my parents are missing?"

Sookie shoved a bite of cake in her mouth and chewed nervously. "I had Jackson go to the diner last night and sneak up into the office. There's no sign of them anywhere. I tried not to panic and I didn't want to scare you or Rory," she sighed.

By the sheer number of sample cakes she'd assembled, it was clear she'd buzzed past panic into frenzy several hours ago.

"So, what do we do now?" Anna asked.

"Well, I was thinking," Sookie set to rearranging the cakes in the order she wanted them to be tasted, like a fine wine connoisseur, "we need to put together a search party."

"Whoa," Will held up his fork, which was smeared with mocha butter icing. "First of all, this one is fantastic," he pointed with his fork, "and second, we can't just put together a search party. If they're missing, really missing, we need to call the police."

"Try this one," Anna slid her piece in front of him and in the next motion stole his piece from him. "We can't call the police."

"Ann, my parents are missing," he stressed.

"Honey, if we call the cops, it'll take them eight hours just to go door-to-door, then they'll have to call the Woodbridge force for back up. There's only two people on the Stars Hollow PD, and neither of them have a cruiser."

"But the new Schwinns are nice," Anna shrugged. "Ten speed."

"Okay, this is stupid," Will stood up. "We can't just sit here eating cake and do nothing!"

"Calm down, all we need to do is," Sookie began, cut off by a knock on Will and Anna's front door.

"That's probably them now," Anna soothed Will, running a hand over his bare shoulder before jogging into the front room. "They probably just went off for a little alone time, and who can blame them? With the wedding, the Kirk thing, Tristan's dad," she turned to the door and opened it. Her mouth dropped open at the sight, and she stepped out, pulling the door half closed. "What are you doing here?" she whispered harshly. "Are you insane? I heard you were in hiding in a cave in Canada."

"I was!" Kirk yelped, looking around as if someone might jump out and tackle him at any given moment. "I had to come back to have my mother do my laundry. I was out of underwear!"

"Kirk, ew!" she frowned. "What are you doing here?"

"I came to help," he said. "I heard Luke and Lorelai were missing."

"How did you hear that?"

"I went by Al's, for pancakes, and it was packed. There was a line around the block, and word on the street was that Caesar has been making pancakes at Luke's for days. The people can only stomach so much of the bad pancakes before they walk."

She rolled her eyes. "Kirk, you have to get out of here. We have it under control."

"Oh, really? Then where are they?"

She opened her mouth, frowned, then closed it. "We're not exactly sure."

"I'm good at search parties. I can round up the town, create charts, get everyone hooked up to be in constant contact until we find them and bring them home."

"Look, that's sweet of you, but I think it's probably best if you go hide in your mom's basement, or where ever," she urged him.

"What's going on here?" Will asked, coming up behind the door after having gone to retrieve a shirt. "Kirk?"

"Will, calm down," Anna turned and pressed both palms against his chest, trying her best to back him into the apartment.

"Yes, Will, please calm down. I'm here to help."

"You've helped plenty. If it weren't for you," Will began, his voice raising and drawing Sookie to see what the commotion was all about.

"Oh my," her eyes widened and she slipped out past Will and Anna, grabbing Kirk by the collar. "What are you doing here? Are you crazy?"

"Don't hurt me!" he squeaked.

"Hurt you? Do you have any idea what you've done?"

"I know, I know! I'm sorry!"

"You're sorry? Kirk, I'm gonna," she shook him a little as her face grew redder.

"Mom!" Anna didn't dare trying to pry her mother's hands off of Kirk's clothes, but she thought she might be able to distract her.

"I came to help find them!"

"If Luke sees you, he'll skin you alive, you realize this, right?" Sookie asked.

"I know," Kirk assured her. "But this is my fault. I want to help."

"Fine," she let go of him and huffed. "So, what's your plan?"

XXXX

Rory sat in her daughter's suite, the television turned to Home and Garden network. Ella came in and leaned over the back of the couch. She popped a bit of brownie into her mouth, and peered at the television.

"What are you watching?" she asked her mother.

"_Designed to Sell_. What are you eating?"

"Brownies with Reese's Pieces in them."

"Oooh, gimme," Rory reached her hand out.

Ella frowned. "Hey, aren't you guys leaving soon?"

Rory's finger snapped off a piece of the moist brownie before her daughter could stop her and her face slackened as she tasted it. "That's wonderful. Where did you get that?"

She shrugged. "They were in a box addressed to me when I came back from breakfast."

"Who are they from?"

"Don't know, and you know, as good as they taste, I don't really care."

"Didn't I ever teach you not to take candy from strangers?"

Ella thought for a beat. "No."

"Well, then go get more," Rory looked hopeful.

"Enabler," Ella muttered as she moved to her room to retrieve the box and flopped onto the couch next to her mother.

Rory's hand missed the box and groaned. "Scoot closer."

Ella rolled her eyes and did as she was told, so that she was nearly sitting on her mother. "Where did Daddy go?"

"He and Jess took the boys to get some stuff for the weekend. Jake didn't have enough stuff from home, he needed toiletries and clothes."

Ella nodded and her head lolled on the back of the couch. "How's Grandpa?"

Rory looked at her sad daughter and slipped an arm around her shoulders. "He's home now. He was really happy to be back in his house."

"And I can come visit as much as I want?"

"I'm sure he'd love that."

"Good," Ella breathed in relief. "Do we know…."

Rory cringed. "Not really. The doctors weren't optimistic, but if Paris taught me anything, it's that doctors don't know everything. I say we hope for the best."

"I can do that," Ella said with quiet determination and ate another brownie. "Why are you watching this show?"

"We need to fix the house up soon," she sighed. "Your dad wants to move back up here."

"Has he told Jake this?" Ella asked.

"We… were going to figure all this out this weekend," she said, popping another bite of brownie into her mouth, avoiding her daughter's knowing eyes.

"Jake loves it down there. Love, as in finally getting girls to notice him kind of love."

"I realize that," Rory sighed.

"Not that I wouldn't like to have you closer—not in the same state or anything, but close enough to drive home to every once in a great while," she stressed.

"I get it," Rory snapped.

"Mom," she said softly.

"Sorry, honey, I just… I have a lot on my mind. Your father," she sighed.

"He'll be fine. He's strong. He's… Dad."

Rory nodded. "I know. I just worry about him. That's what I do."

The doorbell rang, and Ella sighed. "I wish Rosa would get home. It's been like Grand Central in here all day," she got up and moved to the door. "Can I help you?"

"Are you Ella Dugrey?"

"I am."

"Great. These are for you," he held out a coffee holder with two large cups in them.

"I didn't order coffee. I wasn't aware there was a place on campus that even offered delivery for coffee."

"Well, usually, we don't."

"But I'm just so darn cute that for me you do?"

"Normally we have a minimum," he shrugged.

"I'm sorry," she rubbed her temples. "I've had a stressful week. Normally I wouldn't turn down free coffee, or even question it, but I'm pretty sure you've got the wrong place."

"Everything okay over here?" Rory was on her feet, standing next to her daughter. "Is that coffee? You have it delivered? You really ARE my kid," she reached out for the carrier.

"She seems okay with the whole thing. Maybe she ordered it," the delivery guy offered.

Ella sighed. "She just got here. Don't you have an order slip with a name on it?"

"Yeah," he showed it to her. "Yours."

"Well, how did they pay?"

He shrugged. "Says cash. I need go," he backed away.

"Sure. Sorry. Um, thanks for the coffee," she shut her door and looked to her mother, who had drank half of her cup already.

"Caramel macchiato," she nearly purred.

"My favorite," Ella frowned.

"Got yourself a secret admirer, do you?" Rory asked, then took a bite of brownie. "Ohmigod, they are SO good together."

Ella smiled and took her cup of coffee. "I'll be right back. I need to make a phone call."

XXXX

"And you're just going to move back to New York?" Jess asked, his hand resting on Gwen's shoulder as he listened to Tristan.

She couldn't hide her smile, though she put a hand to her mouth in an attempt.

"It can work," Tristan assured them.

They had been sitting in the Starbucks across from the drug store they'd deposited the children in about a half hour earlier. Tristan had just told Jess and Gwen his plan, hoping for some moral support.

"She's gonna murder you. And not in your sleep. The slow, painful kind of torture that only Gilmore women can conjure up," Jess deadpanned.

"What do you think?" Tristan asked Gwen.

"I think that you might as well move in with your mother now," she bit her lip.

Tristan groaned. "I did it for her. I thought it was the best option."

"That's well and good, but the thing is, you didn't tell her. She's very big on the truth," Jess informed him.

"It's not like she tells me everything," Tristan pointed out.

"Yeah, but she holds back things that you really are better off not knowing. Like when you're out of cheese or when Ella got her first period."

"I never know what to tell and what not to tell anymore," Tristan groaned. "But it's something I need to do right now with my dad like this."

"What about Jake?"

"Hopefully he'll want to come back to New York with us. I can't see Rory letting him stay in Raleigh without us."

"He's not going to have anyone left in New York; first Ella now Ambrose."

Tristan looked up. "You're really gonna let Ambrose go to college early?"

Jess shrugged. "If he gets in, it's a consideration."

"Funny, isn't it? I mean, I would have thought that was something Jake would have pulled."

"Yes, my children do seem to like to keep me on my toes," he rubbed Gwen's barely rounded stomach.

"That's it," Tristan snapped his fingers.

"What's it?" Jess said cautiously.

"I just need to distract her."

"What do you mean, distract her?" Gwen asked.

"I'll tell her I want to have another baby."

"So, you want her to have two heart attacks?" Jess asked. "Look, your best bet is to just tell her about the whole house thing. It's not like she's getting so attached to living in North Carolina."

Tristan finished his coffee. "I know it's just… she's gonna kill me."

Gwen reached across the table and squeezed his hand. "Look at it this way. If she doesn't kill you, you'll know that next time, not selling your house is something you should tell her."

"Thank you, for that," he said sarcastically. His gaze shifted to the door as Jules, Ambrose, and Jake ambled in, heading directly to the table. "All killing talk ends now," he said just before Jake got to the table and looked at the table.

"Nothing for us?" he asked his father.

"You know how I feel coffee. It'll stunt your growth."

Jess got out his wallet and handed Ambrose a ten dollar bill.

Tristan sighed. "Fine. But if you don't make any college teams, don't come crying to me."

Jake shook his head and followed Ambrose to the counter. Jules sat down next to Tristan and avoided looking at her father.

"Hey, Jules," Tristan put an arm across the back of her seat. "What's new?"

"Nothing," she shrugged.

"How's that boyfriend of yours?"

She glared at Jess. "I wouldn't know."

"Oh jeez," Jess grumbled.

"Sore point?" Tristan smirked.

"I've been grounded. This was my first weekend to see him, and Dad's making me work in the diner."

Tristan nodded. "You like working in the diner."

"I like seeing my boyfriend more," Jules kept glaring at Jess. "You know, he probably can't remember what I look like. He might not even remember he HAS a girlfriend. He'll probably go to a party tonight and hook up with some other girl."

"Then I guess I did you a favor," Jess shrugged.

"A favor?" she yelped.

"You really want to go out with a guy with no can't remember you long enough not to hit on other girls?"

Jules looked like she might jump the table to strangle her father. Tristan slid his hands to her shoulders and held her back. Gwen cleared her throat.

"Okay, you two. You need to call a truce," she stated. "I'm tired of all the sniping."

"Tell him I'm sixteen and he can't keep me away from boys forever."

"Tell her I'm her father and she can't break every one of my rules just because she likes a boy."

"Tell him," Jules started again.

"Enough!" Gwen put her hands to her ears. "Maybe I'll work in the diner and lock the two of you in Luke's office until you figure out how to talk to each other!"

"You're supposed to be on bed rest," Jess grumbled.

"I don't want to talk to him anyway," Jules crossed her arms.

"Oi," Gwen sighed and took a sip of her tea.

XXXX

"You sure these things are the best?" Jake asked Ambrose as they waited for their coffee.

"Nothing's a hundred percent. Is she on the Pill?"

"I don't know. I didn't ask. Should I ask?"

Ambrose shrugged. "That's up to you."

"What do you use?"

"I got the same thing you got," Ambrose pointed out.

"Yeah, but you don't need them right now."

"You never know. If you're not prepared, you're definitely not going to get any."

Jake sighed. "I'm the oldest virgin ever."

"Not the oldest. Just the most unfortunate."

"Shut up."

"Maybe it's good you've waited this long. Makes you realize what you've been missing."

"Enough," Jake rolled his eyes.

"You know, Jules was talking about all this earlier."

Jake looked up. "About have sex?"

Ambrose nodded. "Creepy, right?"

"She had sex before I did, I might have to kill myself."

"She hasn't done it yet. She's thinking about it, though."

"You gonna kill this guy?"

"Nah. I mean, I don't like it, but I can't stop her," he thought for a moment. "Can I?"

"You could tell your dad."

"Geez. He'd chain her to his wrist."

"So, scare her out of it. Give her the stats on how ineffective condoms are. Ninety-seven percent isn't a very reassuring number."

"That includes all the idiots who don't use them right," he assured him.

"How do you use it wrong? By putting it on your finger?"

Ambrose rolled his eyes. "Don't worry about it."

"So, you're just going to let her have sex?"

"Can we stop talking about this?"

"Gladly," Jake said, sneaking a look over to the table where Jules was sitting with their fathers. "Is she on the Pill?"

"God," Ambrose groaned.

"Seriously. You're going to stand by and hope he's not one of the idiots that don't know how to use a condom?"

"I thought we were dropping this," Ambrose groaned.

"You have to tell your dad. He'll put a stop to this."

"I can't tell him. It breaks some kind of sibling code."

"Whatever. If I was Ella's older brother and she, you know, told me things, I'd definitely tell Dad."

"Look. This weekend isn't about Jules, or Dad and Gwen, or anything else. I get to see Rosa. All I'm thinking about is telling her about the early admission thing."

"You haven't told her? Don't you two talk, like, all the time?"

He shrugged. "We email all the time. I wanted to surprise her."

"It's not like you're going to be at the same school."

"No, I just think she'll be excited."

"And that's why you bought 'just in case' condoms?"

Ambrose shifted his weight. "No. Not exactly."

"Uh huh. Sure," Jake smirked.

"Whatever. Virgin."

"Nice comeback," Jake took his coffee off the counter, as well as Jules' cup, and moved to deliver it with an amused smirk on his face.

XXXX

"Hello?" Jasper grabbed the phone on the first ring.

"Is Grey there?"

"Ella?"

"Oh, Jasper, hi."

"Hey. You asked for Grey?"

"Yeah… is he there?"

"No, he just left. He should be back soonish. You want me to leave a message?"

"Yes. I mean, no. Just, tell him I called."

"Okay. Ella?"

"Yeah?"

"Everything okay?"

"Sure. Sure. I mean, it will be."

"You need some company?"

"No, thanks. My mom's here, and I'm gonna have my brother here all weekend. I'm fine. Really."

"Okay. If you change your mind, you know how to reach me, right?"

"Yeah. Thanks for everything, really."

"You're welcome."

She disconnected, wishing she hadn't told him no. She hadn't seen him since he dropped her off after being with her the whole time her Grandfather was in the hospital. He'd told her to call if she needed anything at all, but she felt she'd taken advantage of his kindness up to this point. After all, he wasn't her boyfriend, and she couldn't let herself muddy those waters again. It wasn't fair to him. And she definitely needed to take care of the secret admirer situation first. She could wait until the meeting, but it was killing her. Especially since the gifts were coming in a near constant supply now during her time of need. She'd been getting comfort presents in steady stream. She sighed and walked back out to where her mother was still enjoying the latest of the gifts.

Ella sat back down and grabbed another brownie. She watched the show wordlessly next to her mother, who was just in as much need for comfort brownies as she was.

XXXX

"This is stupid," Will complained as he trudged along, in the front of the group.

"It's the lot we drew," Davey sighed. "What I don't understand is why I'm here. I don't live in Stars Hollow anymore."

"You're the one that came home to do your laundry," Anna snarked.

"The one in our building is broken!" he defended.

"Whatever. Just point your flashlight over there," she pointed with her own light source.

"They aren't going to be in the basement of the church. They only go into the church for weddings and funerals."

"And christenings," Dave added.

"Why would they be down here?" Will asked.

"Maybe someone tied them up and is holding them hostage," Billy Melville supplied.

"That is the dumbest thing I've ever heard you say, and I've heard you say some really dumb things. Remember when you said peanut butter kills dogs?" Lia rolled her eyes in the dimly lit room.

"No, I said it could kill dogs. They could get their tongue stuck to the roof of their mouths, then they wouldn't be able to drink water, then they'd die."

"You're an idiot," Dave agreed.

"Can we just focus here?" Mallory stepped between the sparring siblings.

"Focus on what? On the fact that this is where crap comes to die?" Lia held up the baby Jesus that was now missing two arms and one leg, but nonetheless would be the feature of the Christmas Nativity scene come December.

"On finding Mom and Dad," Will said through gritted teeth.

"Right, Honey, we're looking. We're following Kirk's plan."

"Kirk lives with his mother!" Will shouted.

"Okay, okay, calm down," Anna soothed.

"This is crap. They aren't down here," Will sighed, reaching the back wall of the basement, having weaved through boxes and random objects used by the church at different times.

"Well, they have to be somewhere," Lia put her hands on her hips. "The whole town is searching every nook and cranny."

"What if it's like that song?" Dave asked.

"Way to be vague, Dave," Anna sighed.

"No, you know, that song?" he turned to Mallory, as if she would just suddenly read his mind. "About that old couple that disappeared?"

"Mom and Dad aren't old," Will snapped.

"I'm not saying they're old, I'm saying it's like that song," Dave clarified.

"Yeah, some song about an old couple," Will snarked back.

"Boys!" Anna shouted. "Dave, get to a point? What song?"

"They were some sort of sports reference or something," Dave scratched his head. "Fast Pitch?"

"Fastball?" Mallory supplied.

Dave snapped his fingers. "That's it!"

"Well, I don't think they're up to eternal summer slacking," Will shook his head. "I've racked my brain. I can't imagine where they would have gone. They didn't take off to the summer house, they didn't go to the cabin Dad rents for fishing, they aren't with any relative," he sighed.

"Come on," Anna put her hand on his shoulder. "Let's get out of here and report back to headquarters."

"Fine," Will sighed, letting everyone else file out before taking up the rear as they made their way back toward the natural light upstairs.

XXXX

Ella was alone again. Her father had showed up to collect her mother, taking her off to discuss their options, and Jake and Ambrose had gone off exploring, and Grey was yet to return her call. She hadn't seen Rosa all day, and she had tried to take her mind off her social concerns by attending to homework. She had reread the same paragraph ten times and leapt up with relief when the door opened.

"Rosa?"

"No, it's me," Grey stuck his head in the door. "It was unlocked."

"Oh, it's fine."

"Is Rosa home?"

"Um, not to my knowledge. I figured she was with you. I uh, called you earlier."

"I was out."

"So I heard," she smiled tightly and took a step closer to him.

He scratched his jaw, which was lined with stubble. He looked like he hadn't been home to take care of pesky things like shaving or changing his clothes. It was odd to see him so crumpled and unkempt.

"You okay?"

"I'm okay. How are you? I heard about your grandfather."

She shrugged. "People are being great. Sending stuff over. Jasper gave me a lift to the hospital."

"I heard. Listen, about that," he took a breath.

"Yeah?"

"I meant to come over and see how you were doing."

"Oh, you know. I'm," she paused. "Fine."

"I've just been busy, trying to figure out what was going on with Rosa. Has she said anything to you?"

Ella shook her head. "She spends a lot of time out or in her room. I was going to ask you if I'd done something to upset her."

"I don't think that's it."

"Well, if it wasn't me, I had one other idea."

Grey cocked his head. "What's that?"

"I sort of thought Pax might have something to do with her disappearances."

"Pax?"

"They are sort of perfect for each other," Ella pointed out.

"Yeah, but that's like," he stopped and sat down. "Huh."

"But she won't talk about it. At all, like she wants to keep it secret."

Grey smiled knowingly. "I'm so going to use this."

Ella shook her head and sat down. "No, no way. We don't know anything is going on."

"Yeah, but this is my sister, potentially hiding the fact she's dating one of my best friends? Come on, Els, this is a gold mine."

She let out a breath. "Grey, think about this. This is your sister, and if she's hiding it she must have a reason. Haven't you ever had a secret you needed to keep?"

He fell silent.

"Grey?"

"Yeah?"

"I need to show you something," she said, getting up and retreating to her room. She pulled the note out of the book she'd been hiding it in. She looked at it one last time as she stood in front of Grey.

"Can I show you something?"

"Sure," he held out his hand. "What is it?"

"You know I've been getting these secret admirer gifts, right?"

He nodded. "Rosa wouldn't quit talking about it for a while. I think she was jealous, until, well, recently."

She nodded. "It's been really sweet, and for a while, I didn't want to know because it was fun and different, and it had nothing to do with Jasper and Pax. It came at the perfect time."

He nodded. "Makes sense."

"But lately, I've been getting a little more anxious to find out. I even got a note, in one of the care packages, giving instructions on when and where to find out who it is."

"Is that the note?"

"Not exactly. I got this one soon after."

He took the note from her and looked up. "Oh."

"Any thoughts?"

Grey read it over again. "What makes you think I'd know who sent this?"

She bit her lip. "Don't you?"

"This says," he began.

"I know what it says."

"You think I wrote this?"

"I'm just trying to narrow it down."

"You have to narrow down a list of guys that might have said this to you? Your ego must take up a whole house."

She put a hand to her hip. "Hey!"

"I get that you're gorgeous, but you shouldn't have a whole damn list."

"What are you, jealous?" she asked, getting irritated.

"I'm not jealous; I just don't see why you're interrogating me!"

Ella took a breath. "So, you didn't write this."

He looked up at her for a long moment. "Would you want me to?"

She worried her lip. "I … I didn't say that."

He stood up. "Maybe you should figure out what you do want."

"Grey!" she stood, following at his heels.

"You can't just go around, trying to figure out who's so in love with you. If you don't want to wait to meet your secret admirer when he's ready to have you know, then just decide who it is you want to be with and do the deed yourself."

She crossed her arms. "How do you know when I'm supposed to find out?"

"Rosa told me. I have to go."

"Wait," she held out her hand. "Can I have the note back?"

"So you can wave it around to all the other guys on the list?"

"The list isn't all that long."

He looked at her for a beat and nodded. "Do me a favor?"

She nodded.

"Don't tell Rosa we suspect anything."

She nodded a bit more vigorously, and he smiled before walking out into the hallway. She went back into her room to reread the note and think about what Grey said. It was definitely a short list, whom she really wanted to be with and she made a vow to herself that she was not going to string anyone along again.

XXXX

"You can pout all you want," Jess said into the rearview mirror.

"I'm not pouting."

He sighed at his daughter, whose pursed lips and folded arms painted a different picture.

"Jess, leave her alone," Gwen rubbed his arm. "We could just go back to the city."

"Yeah, you guys can have a romantic weekend in the city, same as out in the middle of nowhere," Jules pointed out.

"We have reservations, and you will survive two more days without making gooey eyes at your boyfriend."

"Why don't you just admit the fact you hate him?" she prodded.

Jess slowed at the stoplight. "I don't hate him. I hate the fact you can't seem to listen to me when you're with him."

"You would never do this to Ambrose. You're letting him go to college next year!"

"If you can get into college now, then I'd let you go too. And if he were exhibiting behavior that made me as nervous as yours, then damn right I'd cart him up here like this."

"He bought condoms, you know?" she blurted.

Jess's eyes shot back up in the mirror to meet hers. "Excuse me?"

"He and Jake, in the drug store."

"I'll have a talk with him when I pick him up. Until then you're still the one I'm concerned about, and you're the one that will be wiping counters and refilling coffee cups. I did it when I was your age and out of control."

"Whatever," she grumbled, slumping back in her seat as they neared the diner. Jess slowed the car more as they got to the center of town. Hundreds of people filled the town square, some seated at long tables, some working on a large grid-like map that had been posted in front of the gazebo, and most traveling in packs with flashlights and emergency aid kits, speaking into walkie talkies.

"Is this some sort of festival?" Gwen asked, having heard one too many stories about this town and its using any excuse to sell corndogs and Sno-cones.

"I don't think so," Jess pulled up in front of the diner, which looked closed, and got out. He wandered over to the town square, Gwen and Jules following at a distance, and stopped in front of the table where Kirk was sitting with a clipboard and a highlighter.

"Kirk, what's going on?"

"Manhunt. We're missing two townies. Here's a description and uncharted territories," Kirk handed over a photo of Luke and Lorelai with a map. Jess stood in shock for a moment, long enough for the women to join him.

"What's going on?" Gwen asked.

"Are these the other members of your search party? We recommend no one goes alone," Kirk instructed. "We have walkie talkies, you can check them out over past the carb-loading table. Mainly it's all the pancakes Caesar couldn't unload at the diner, but Sookie's scheduled to drop off more food in about an hour."

"Uncle Luke is missing?" Jules asked.

"And Lorelai."

"Where's Rory?" Jess asked Kirk.

"Rory? No, we're looking for Lorelai. And Luke. I gave you a picture," Kirk pointed to it with his highlighter.

"Rory, Lorelai's daughter? How about Will? Is there anyone here that's sane that I can speak to?"

"I'm in charge here," Kirk related.

"Oh, jeez," Jess pulled out his cell phone and dialed Rory's cell phone.

"Does this mean I don't have to work at the diner all weekend?" Jules asked.

"That depends. How are your pancakes? Fluffy?" Kirk asked, and Gwen put a protective arm around Jules' shoulders.

"Rory? It's me. We kind of have a situation going in town. Did you know your mother was missing? Hello? Rory?"


	66. Chapter 66

"I'm coming home."

"No, you aren't."

"My mother is missing," Rory paced as she spoke into the phone.

"No, technically, she isn't."

"Then where is she?"

Jess sighed. "I don't know. But I do know that the police won't file a missing persons report for at least forty-eight hours, which, in New York, is the exact length of time it takes to get a fake passport made so you can skip the country."

"That is so incredibly helpful. I'm going to have to rent a car, so Tristan will have a way back to the inn, or he could just sleep at his parents' house again," she postulated.

"No, you don't, because you don't need to come home."

"She's my mother! Even you're there, helping search for them."

"I got roped in. You have many other ropes, all tying you to Hartford at the moment."

Rory was quiet for a moment. She did have enough on her plate—too much to also worry about finding her suddenly missing mother. "She would have told me if she were taking a trip, Jess."

"Maybe it was a spur of the moment kind of thing. Just because you plan your life to the second that doesn't mean everyone else lives that way."

"I still think everyone is flipping out for nothing. You do realize how insanely funny Lorelai is going to think this is, the whole town with flashlights and emergency aid kits walking around calling out their names?"

Rory couldn't help but smile. "She's going to laugh particularly hard imagining _you_ walking around with a flashlight and an emergency aid kit calling their names."

"To be fair, the only place I've searched is Doose's, and I'm currently watching the diner."

"Let me guess, you're gonna search the bridge next?"

"Well, what good are cigarettes if they remain unsmoked?"

"The eternal question asked again. I thought you weren't smoking since Gwen."

"I'm under stress. My daughter is trying to kill me."

Rory rolled her eyes. "She's a teenager, Jess."

"That's what I said."

"Hardly."

"You know how people put toddlers on little leashes? Well, we should leave the innocent children alone and put the teenagers on the leashes."

"You do realize that you have the most difficulty with the children that act like you did when you where their age, right?"

"I never broke curfew."

"You never had a curfew."

"I was going to spare you from this, but since you refuse to be on my side, I'm forced to drag you down with me. Your son bought condoms."

There was an elongated pause. "Okay, so I swing down to New Haven first, then I come to Stars Hollow. Expect me in an hour, give or take."

"I wouldn't worry about Jake. He probably just bought some because Ambrose was."

Rory rubbed her temples. "And you're okay with that?"

"Well, I'm not gonna tell him not to buy condoms if he's gonna have sex," he pointed out. "Maybe you should let Tristan handle this."

"Tristan has enough to deal with right now," she frowned. "Look, just give me the worst-case scenario, with Mom and Luke."

"Murder/suicide."

"Jess!"

"You asked!"

"Mom would never kill herself."

"And Luke would never kill her."

"So Mom's still alive," she theorized.

"They're both alive. I'm sure they're off somewhere boffing their brains out."

"And you're okay with that mental image?"

"I'll gouge my eyes out later. But seriously, just stay in Hartford. You know I'll call you if we actually have to file a missing persons report."

"Or if you find anything."

"Anything at all."

There was a beat of silence. "Thanks, Jess."

He leaned on the diner counter. "Well, it was either that or talk to my glaring teenage daughter."

"Give her a hug for me."

"I will."

Jess hung up and looked at his daughter, who was still glaring at him from behind the cash register. He picked up the wash rag and ran it over the end of the counter. He worked his way quickly toward her end, stopping when he was nearly shoulder to shoulder with her.

"How long are you going to look at me like that?" he opened.

Jules shrugged. "How long are you going to punish me for being a girl?"

Jess lowered his head. "I'm not punishing you… for that."

She put her hand on her hip, the same move her mother had. It was frightening the similarities to his ex-wife and himself he saw in his kids sometimes. "Whatever. Do you want me to stay here while you go looking for Uncle Luke?"

He cocked his head. "I'd like to stay here and talk to you."

She shrugged. "And if I don't want to?"

"Then you can listen," he narrowed his eyes, doing his best fatherly tone. "First of all, I didn't bring you to Stars Hollow as a punishment. I will admit that the timing might have made it easy to think that was the case," he looked at her, but she continued to examine the cash register.

"Whatever," she shrugged again.

"Can you stop being a teenager for just one second and let me talk?"

She looked up at him.

"Thank you. Look, I won't lie and tell you I'm not more comfortable with Ambrose with all this stuff, and not just because he's a boy."

Jules frowned. "What does that mean?"

Jess ran a hand through his hair. He hated when Rory was right. It was bad enough that she knew him so well, but it almost always made him sound like an adolescent again. "I mean that while Ambrose may look like me and have my affinity for smartass pranks, he's more like your mother in his respecting his elders and maturity level."

She raised an eyebrow, and he continued. "And, it was recently pointed out to me that perhaps the reason you and I have been going so many rounds about curfew is that you seem to be taking after me in the whole teenage downward spiral thing."

"I'm not…," she began to protest.

Jess held up his hand. "I know, I know, you just broke curfew a couple of times. You lost track of time. I don't understand what your life is like. Name the excuse, I've used it. And you and I both know that you were late because you were spending time feeling good, and you didn't want it to end. I get that being with him feels like something important, it makes you feel amazing. But it's that kind of thinking that leads to trouble. As much as you might like him, Jules, he isn't the rest of your life, or even something to base it around. If something were to happen," he sighed.

"You think I'm having sex?" she questioned him.

He groaned inwardly. This was what mothers were for. He didn't feel equipped to listen to his baby girl talk about sex. He put in another silent plea to whatever gods might be listening that the baby that was currently napping upstairs inside of his wife was a boy.

"I didn't say that."

"But you're afraid I am."

He looked at her, helpless to be anything but truthful. "Terrified."

She bit her lip. "Can I ask you something?"

He really needed that smoke now. "Sure."

"Were you… I mean, how old were you when you first did?"

He wasn't sure what he would have done if there was anyone in the diner to overhear this conversation. He felt like he needed to put his head between his knees and breathe into a paper bag as it was. "Too young."

"Does that mean you regret it?"

"It means," he took a deep breath, if only to buy some time, "that knowing what I know now, there are things in my past that weren't worth the costs. I had this thing, when I was your age, about the impermanence of life… I lived a lot like consequences didn't apply to me."

She crossed her arms and looked up at her father with a look of hope on her face. "What if I've thought about this, the consequences and all, and I still think that the only thing I'll regret looking back is not doing it?"

His chest started to ache. "You want the father answer or the non-father answer?"

She considered this. "Father."

"I think I'm going to be having a lot of anxiety attacks from now on."

"Dad," she complained.

"I always told your mom that when you got to be a teenager, I was going to be a cool dad. That I wasn't going to get all freaked out about periods or sex."

Jules raised her eyebrows.

"Yeah, your mom didn't believe me either. Look, if I were just some adult in your life, I'd just tell you to cover all your bases and do what you thought was right. As your dad, I want to protect you from every thing that could ever hurt you, in any way."

She nodded. "I know."

"So, I guess, I mean, if you're really going to do this, you have to tell me. Or, if you can't tell me, tell Gwen or your mom, or even Rory. Someone who can make sure you've got all your bases covered."

She nodded. "Deal."

He let out the breath he felt like he'd been holding. "Deal."

She looked out the window. "Where do you think they are?"

"My bet? That they are holed up in the basement of the courthouse, where they keep all the old files, trying to find paperwork that proves they were legally married."

She gave him a knowing look. "And when are you going to tell everyone that you're legally married?"

He straightened up and pulled his jacket on. "You know, you did get that frighteningly serious look in your eyes from your mother."

She smiled. "Go out and search. I'll stay here in case anyone comes by."

He kissed her forehead. "Take Gwen up a snack in a bit, would you?"

"Yeah, sure."

"I was expecting a 'whatever,'" he teased and opened the door. "But I'll take non-violent agreement."

XXXX

"It's just common courtesy, to call your only son and tell him when you're going out of town. Especially when he's in the middle of planning his wedding, not to mention yours, as well. In the very least, you could have left a note, or told someone to pass along the message so the entire town doesn't have to resort to emergency measures to find you. It's the kind of thing you instilled in me, to give notice to the people who are going to worry if you're lying in a ditch somewhere on the side of the road, weakly calling out the names of said loved ones. And forget me and my concern; think of what you're doing to Rory. Isn't she going through enough right now? So, when you finally deign to check the million voice mails that you could have avoided by, I don't know, answering your phone, call me back so I can back out of Mrs. Ferguson's crawl space to see if someone shoved your body into the reaches!"

Will snapped his phone shut and huffed for a moment before turning around to see where his group had gone to in their ten minute break. They'd checked back in with Kirk, marked off their last searched area on the map, and were directed to the protein-loading zone. After eating a Slim Jim he'd wandered off to rant yet another time. His wandering eyes landed on his wife, the one woman in the world he could turn to for anything, to see her holding a baby. She patted the baby, seemed enthralled by the experience, then held it out for its mother. Heat rose up in his stomach, and he wasn't sure if he was going to vomit or scream. Bree nestled the child back into a stroller and waved to Anna. He waited until the stroller was out of view, across the square, before he moved over to Anna.

"What was that?"

"What?" she looked up, playing it innocent.

"What? You were fraternizing with the enemy!"

Anna sighed. "Will," she began.

"She's probably holding my parents hostage to mess up our wedding."

"Oh, come on," she turned back to the table of food, taking in her options. Her mother had been here, and she'd been cooking up a storm in her an attempt not to think about her missing best friend and mother of the groom in the wedding she was planning.

"I'm not going to come on, you were talking to Satan!"

"I was being nice and looking at the baby," she corrected.

"Okay, see, that's not much better."

Anna raised an eyebrow. "It's a cute baby."

"Oh, so the Spawn of Satan was cute? Well, that makes it okay, then."

"Look," she pointed a kebab at him. "I realize you're freaked out because your parents are missing, and I want to find them too, but freaking out at me for thinking the baby was cute isn't going to help us find them."

He looked sheepish, but determined. "Did it have an English accent?"

Anna groaned. "It's a baby. It smelled good and smiled at me. I'm hardwired to hold it and pat its back. I didn't offer to babysit the thing."

"Good. Don't. Ever," he added.

She sighed. "Is it this particular baby you're upset about, or are you freaking out about seeing me with a baby?"

He reached out and ran his hand down her arm. "No, that doesn't… it's that particular baby. I don't mean to freak out," he growled.

"I know. What she did was horrible. But it's not the baby's fault."

He pulled her in close. "Because it's a cute baby?"

"Exactly."

"I bet our baby will be cuter. And smell better."

"I'm sure you're right."

"Baby?" Sookie came up behind her daughter, causing Anna to bang her head against Will's chest. "Did I hear you say something about a baby?"

"A theoretical baby, Mom," Anna gave her a look. "Any and all talk of babies is completely theoretical."

"For how long?" Sookie pushed.

"For the foreseeable future," Anna answered for them, encouraging Sookie to move along.

Once Sookie had moved on to check the progress of the town search, Will cleared his throat. Anna looked up at him. "What?"

"Completely theoretical?"

She blushed. "For now. Isn't it?"

He shrugged. "It's a conversation."

"It definitely is."

Billy walked up to them, eating a turkey leg. "Kirk has our next hunt ready."

"You ready?" Anna asked Will.

He sighed. "Just let me grab a turkey leg. Where'd you get that?" he followed Billy, who led him over to another food table.

XXXX

Rory came downstairs fully dressed to find her husband sitting alone at the massive dining room table wearing pajama pants and a robe with the newspaper spread out next to him and a single cup of coffee in front of him. He seemed completely at home, which was right as this had been his home for so many years, but it looked so out of place for her. They'd never been hurting for money, in fact, if anything they lived well under their means. They had the ability to provide the best for their children, travel the world, and if they wanted, to buy expensive things. They simply weren't the type to have a massive home that resembled a museum. Their homes had always been cozy and littered with personal touches.

She walked up behind him and slid her arms around his shoulders and neck, bending slightly to kiss the crown of his head. He wrapped a hand around her arm, holding her in place.

"Morning."

"Morning. Want some coffee?"

"I'll get it."

"Sit, Hilda will be out in a minute to make sure I really don't want any breakfast, again," he informed her.

"The maid, huh?"

He cocked his head. "Yes, the maid."

She looked around the room as she sat. "Where are your folks?"

"They went out for a walk. Dad says the fresh air makes him feel better."

Rory nodded. "Listen," she bit her lip as she looked up at him.

He tore his gaze from the paper and put his hand on hers, rubbing the back of her hand with his thumb. "You hungry?"

"No, not really. Jess just called."

He nodded. "Okay."

"Mom and Luke, they're… well, no one can seem to find them."

"They're missing?"

"No. Well. I don't know. Probably not."

"Babe, if you want to spend the day in Stars Hollow," he began.

"No," she shook her head. "That's not it. Jess told me it's under control and that I should stay with you."

"But?"

She smiled. He knew her so well. "I thought I should go down to New York, talk to our realtor. We can't keep staying at the inn and here."

"I know."

"So, I figure I'll drink some coffee and get going. You stay here and I'll spend the day down there with her, looking at properties."

He put his hand on her arm again. "Are you sure you shouldn't go to Stars Hollow?"

She shook her head. "Jess said it was okay for now. And you've got so much to deal with here, let me take care of this."

It was crunch time. He was between the familiar rock and a very hard place. He could tell her the truth and hope she wouldn't completely freak out or find some way to distract her.

"I need to go over a lot of the paperwork with Dad today," he looked down at the table, not wanting to look her directly in the eye as he misled her. "Mom's going to try and be in there with us, but she's just going to stress Dad out and make us crazy."

She gave him a sympathetic look. "You want me to take her with me?"

He cringed. "She's not exactly on the us moving bandwagon. She thinks we should just stay here for the duration and go back to North Carolina afterward."

"Oh."

"I was thinking you could take her out for a few hours, get her mind off of things, and then we can all meet back up for a nice dinner."

"You want me to distract her?"

Tristan nodded. "She's been dealing with this non-stop for much longer than we have. I need to just get through this last round of financial and estate holding papers with Dad, then everything will be settled."

"Then we can get a house and get settled? Because I have to tell you, I feel bad just lingering at the inn, and this place," she shuddered.

He wrapped an arm around her shoulders. "It's not very homey."

She shook her head. "I still can't believe you grew up here."

He kissed her temple. "You're right; we need to get settled in our own place."

She sighed. "Just not today."

"Thank you," he caught her chin with his fingertips and leaned in for a kiss. He knew this was just going to get worse the longer he put it off, but in the moment he enjoyed sitting at the table, with the morning paper and his loving wife.

She pulled back slowly and looked up at him knowingly. "This is going to cost you."

"Name your price."

"Half the paper and two cups of coffee."

He handed over the paper and leaned back in his chair. "Hilda! Can you bring Mrs. Dugrey some coffee, please?"

XXXX

Grey came out of his room and tossed his book bag onto the couch. Jasper looked up from his spot on the couch, not even slowing his hand motions as he manipulated the video game controller.

"No study group today?"

"Cancelled. You?"

"I was gonna go to the library. Oh, man, you can't beat it like that," he sat down and took over the controller.

"Hey!"

"Dude, do you want to get to level thirteen, or not?"

"I was doing it."

"No, you weren't. Watch this," Grey moved his hands over the controller.

"Shouldn't you be at the library?"

"I can't focus to study," he said as his eyes were now glued to the screen.

"You can't do that—hey, how'd you do that?"

"Told you."

Jasper shook his head and moved to get two sodas from the fridge. "So, why can't you focus?"

Grey looked up enough to take the soda. "Nothing, it's just… stuff."

"What kind of stuff?"

Grey shook his head. "Why are you sitting around the room this time of the day playing video games?"

"Just passing some time."

"Passing time?"

Jasper took back the controller. "My study group got cancelled, I'm caught up on homework, and if I don't want to leave the room aimlessly."

Grey took a swig of soda. "Aimlessly?"

Jasper shrugged. "I think I'm bugging Ella. Ever since her grandfather got sick, I've been trying to make sure she's had someone to talk to," he said.

"She's doing okay."

Jasper looked up. "You saw her?"

"I was, uh, looking for Rosa."

"Oh. So, she's doing okay? Is her Mom still around?"

"I don't think so."

"Hmm."

"I mean, she's doing fine. If you ask me, she's a little too obsessed with this whole secret admirer thing, though. She asked me if I knew who it was."

Jasper raised an eyebrow. "Do you?"

Grey met his eyes quickly, then looked away. "No. You?"

Jasper paused the game. "Why would I know anything about it?"

"Rosa seems to think you're the most likely candidate. Which means she's probably shared this insight with Ella."

"Huh," he flipped the game off and stood up.

"Where are you going? I thought you weren't into aimless wandering."

Jasper nodded. "This time it's not going to be aimless."

Grey picked up his book bag and slung it over his shoulder. "Hold the door. I have some aimed wandering to do myself."

XXXX

Rosa giggled as warm arms wrapped around her waist. An equally warm face burrowed in her neck, as she struggled to remove the arms.

"I can't go out there with you attached to me like some kind of sea urchin."

"You mean anemone," he corrected.

"I hate it when you do that."

"Do what?"

"Correct me like you're an expert on sea life."

"Because we often discuss sea life?" he chuckled.

"I just need you to detach so I can go out and scope out the scene. We can't have you walking out of my room at all hours of the day with Ella or whoever just sitting out there."

"Whomever."

"Pax, I swear to God," she rolled her eyes.

"My mother is an editor," he looked down, trying to hold back a smile.

"Just let go of me, and I promise that I'll be back in a second."

He didn't relent. "I think you're just trying to get away from me."

She managed to turn in his grip. "I don't want to get away from you, even when you're correcting my grammar."

He leaned down and kissed her. "Okay, go check that the coast is clear. I don't need any more uncomfortable run-ins."

"I'll be right back," she promised, kissing him one last time before slipping out her bedroom door.

"Hit me."

Rosa's eyes widened as she took in the scene before her.

"Dude, you're at eighteen," Ambrose pointed out.

"So?" Jake asked.

"So, you don't hit on eighteen."

"Says who?"

"Says common sense, for one," Ambrose cocked his head.

"Phil Gordon, for two," Rosa piped up, causing both boys to look at her.

"Rosa," Ambrose sat back on his heels. They were sitting on the floor around the coffee table, playing blackjack. "You're here."

She blinked. "I do live here. What are you doing here?"

"We came up to hang out," Jake supplied. "Wanna play blackjack?"

"Um, no, thanks," she crossed her arms, still not moving away from her door, as if guarding it.

"Okay, so, hit me," Jake turned back to Ambrose, who was still watching Rosa.

"If you say hit me again, I am going to hit you," Ambrose glared at his friend.

"Bring it on," Jake didn't look concerned. "Maybe once upon a time you could have kicked my ass, but no more."

Ambrose looked from Rosa. "You so don't want to go there. Just because you're Mr. Jockstrap now doesn't mean you know how to fight."

"Okay, Bert, Ernie," Rosa held up her hands. "Where is Ella?"

"In her room, being all girly," Jake rolled his eyes.

"Girly?"

"She's got Sarah McLachlan playing, and she's sitting on her bed, flipping through her photo albums."

"Oh, jeez," Rosa looked to the door then back at Jake. "Maybe you should go talk to her."

Ambrose nodded. "Yeah, man, you're her brother."

"I am not going back in there! She yelled at me for having a Y chromosome earlier," he shook his head. "I thought she was upset about Grandpa, but clearly something else is going on. And whatever it is, it's of the delusional variety."

"Someone has to talk to her," Rosa reiterated.

"You have ovaries, you might be safe," Jake smirked.

"My ovaries aren't up for discussion. Just go in there. If she maims you, I'll go in as back up."

Jake sighed and stood up, grumbling about hormone-crazed women as he trudged over to his sister's door. He barely knocked with his knuckles before opening the door and disappearing behind it.

Ambrose stood up and approached Rosa. "So," he smiled.

"Uh," she looked down, backing up toward her own door.

"How've you been?"

"Fine. Busy," she looked at him finally.

"You get my emails?"

"Um, yeah," she felt her breathing change to a much more erratic pattern. Her boyfriend was behind her and the boy that wanted to be her boyfriend was looking at her like she was still a possibility. "I've just been really busy."

"It's okay. I've been busy too. Actually, there was something I wanted to tell you."

"O-oh?" she could feel heat rising up her neck. Her biggest hope was that Pax had climbed out her window by now. That and that Ambrose didn't try to kiss her. He had this very determined look in his eyes.

He nodded. "I applied for early admission."

"You what?" she frowned as he smiled.

"Yeah. I figured it was a long shot, but so far it's all going well. I sent in my application, and my counselor thinks I have a decent shot."

There was no blood in her head. "Really?"

He nodded. "Crazy, right?"

"Um, yeah, crazy," she agreed.

There was a knock at the door, quickly followed by the opening of the main door. Jasper stopped as soon as he stepped over the threshold. Rosa turned, still flustered, and frowned at him.

"What are you doing here?"

"I need to talk to Ella."

XXXX

Jules put down a tray next to the bed quietly and turned to leave the office/apartment.

"What time is it?" Gwen asked, groggily.

Jules turned back to the bed. "About eleven. Dad said you should eat soon."

"Where is he?" she sat up.

"Out looking for Uncle Luke and Aunt Lorelai," she said. "Do you need something?"

Gwen shook her head. "No, I'm fine. Did you two talk?"

Jules sat on the edge of the bed. "Yeah, we did. Sorry we've been so horrible."

Gwen smiled. "Not horrible. It's actually normal. A little annoying, but normal."

"Sorry you married him yet?" Jules cringed.

Gwen laughed. "No. I'm happy to be married to him and to be your stepmother."

Jules smiled. "Apparently he doesn't mean to be so strict about me and Court. He said he was afraid I was like him and that freaked him out."

Gwen nodded. "He's been talking to Rory."

Jules nodded. "He thinks I'm gonna have sex."

"Are you?"

"Eventually," Jules evaded.

"So, you're thinking about it."

Jules nodded. "Is that bad?"

"It's normal. Have you talked about it with Court?"

Jules pulled her legs up onto the bed. "Not exactly. I mean, I'm sure he wants to. He's a guy."

"So, why do you want to?" Gwen probed, rubbing her upset stomach.

"Why do I want to have sex?"

Gwen nodded. "Because if you're going to do it because you think he wants to, that's not the best reason. Not that it isn't a reason that a lot of girls have sex, but you don't want to look back at your first time like that."

"He'd never push me into anything," Jules defended.

"No, I know. He's a great kid. But whether he's said anything or not, I've been there. There's pressure."

Jules nodded. "That's not it. When I'm with him, I feel good. I love him, and I know he loves me. I want… I want to be with him. It's not like I think he's the love of my life, or we'll be together forever. But he's my first love, you know?" Jules looked up at Gwen.

Gwen smiled. "Yeah. I know. If you want, I can take you to the doctor, get you all set up with birth control. Unless you'd rather your mom come out and take care of it."

Jules shook her head. "I'd rather go with you. Mom isn't gonna handle this well. I'm anticipating the freak out when Dad tells her."

"Maybe you should tell her."

"Maybe," she hedged. "You really think I have to go on the Pill?"

"You can't leave it up to the guy. Rule one of birth control for women."

"Is that…," Jules stopped suddenly.

"Is that what?"

"Is that why you and Dad, I mean," she hedged.

"Oh, honey, no," she sighed. "I'm not going to lie and say we planned this kid," she sighed. "But we're older and it's more than likely all that happened with us would have happened eventually. Sometimes, though, all the birth control in the world can fail. Keep that in mind, but you can't live your life being afraid of what could happen, either."

Jules nodded. "Yeah. Sorry I asked."

"It's okay," Gwen assured her. "We should be able to talk. Especially if it's easier for you to talk to me about tricky stuff. I like having that role in your life."

Jules leaned in and hugged Gwen. "I should get back downstairs."

"I'll be down, after I eat. Is it busy?"

"It's dead, but they're searching the town and we haven't been searched yet. Dad told me to follow whoever does it around, make sure they don't break anything."

Gwen nodded. "He's a smart man, your father. I'll be down in a bit."

"Okay," Jules got up and went back down to guard the diner.

XXXX

"So, what's the verdict?"

"I'm in heaven."

"It's not heaven."

Lorelai turned her head back against his chest. "How can you say that?"

"Because in heaven, I'd be able to understand what the hell everyone was saying."

"Luke, they're speaking Italian, you know, because it's the national language."

"Where do they get off, declaring a national language? I mean, it's not like the only people in the country at all times are Italian. We live in the United States, but there is no United Statian," he began.

"I feel a rant coming on," she smiled, urging him on.

"I mean, you come over here, and they expect you to speak the language, or spend fifteen minutes trying to order a sandwich while you flip through those annoying little phrasebooks, and they stare at you like you're a circus act!"

"The only two words you need to know in Italian are gelato and cappuccino," she teased.

"It's preposterous. They know what you're trying to say, but they just look at you and look at you while you put the accent on the wrong letter and end up ordering a shoelace with marinara sauce," he grumbled.

"That would make a fine addition to the diner's menu, you know, for the next hapless Italian who comes into the diner."

"Did I tell you that Taylor wanted me to print a second menu, in Spanish?"

"Get out!"

"He said that it would increase tourist revenue to the town and that it's supportive of the high school students that study it. Did Rory take Spanish?"

Lorelai snorted. "Rory took everything," she recalled. "Will took French."

"I never took a foreign language."

"Well, lucky for you, I did."

"Italian?"

She shook her head. "Spanish, which I hear is very similar to Italian. I won't let you order any more shoelaces."

He kissed her suddenly, and she wrapped her arms around his neck. "You're so good to me."

"Just shut up about Italian and look at the view," she leaned back against him.

"Shouldn't we go home soon? Or at least call one of the kids?"

"They're all busy with their own lives," Lorelai looked out over the magnificent sunset view over the water. "Can you imagine living here, being so used to this that you don't even notice it?"

"Impossible."

"It has to be. I mean, look where we live. It's this cozy, quaint, Americana-type town that so many people want to see, like it belongs in a museum. But to us, sometimes, we just need to get out or we wish that it wasn't so suffocating."

"So, you want to move to the Amalfi coast?" Luke murmured as he took in the view.

"No. But it was the perfect getaway. Just what I needed."

"What we needed," Luke supplied, pulling her back against him tighter as they continued to look over the beautiful coastline with their arms intertwined and their new rings gleaming into the pink light.


	67. Chapter 67

"So, how's Grandpa?"

"He's hanging in there. Your mom cleared it with the school, for you to take a few days off to come and visit."

"Should I come now? I'm sure that Jasper guy could drive us over."

"No, it's fine. You kids have fun this weekend. Did you and Ambrose get there okay?"

"Yeah. He was glad to get away from his family. Jules and Jess weren't speaking, so it was only him and Gwen talking all the way from New York."

"That actually makes me glad to be here," he admitted.

"So, is this just an official check in? I can try to put Ella on the phone, but she hasn't come out of her room in a while, and I am not going back in there."

"What's wrong?"

"I think she's having some kind of mental snap. Maybe it's Grandpa, or that put her over the edge, but she's clearly hormonal."

"Hormonal?" Tristan repeated.

"She was crying and made me look at a picture of Sniffles."

"Oh, geez, not that hamster again," Tristan rubbed the bridge of his nose with his thumb and forefinger.

"The very one. So, I was trying not to make her cry harder, and I got real close to look at it. Then she started yelling at me about how I always hated Sniffles."

"Well, you did put all that Kleenex in its cage."

"Grandma told me to!"

"So, she's still upset about the hamster?"

"Beats me. She tried to hug me after she threw a shoe at my head, and I ran for my life."

"Where are you now?"

"In the common room, eating these brownies. They're amazing."

"What are you doing later?"

"Not sure. Steering clear of Ella, for sure, but Am and I thought we'd hit some parties. That is, if he ever comes out of Rosa's room."

Tristan swallowed. "Look, Jake, your mother wanted me to call, but it wasn't just to check in. Apparently she and Jess were talking earlier, and he mentioned that you and Am, well, that you made a specific purchase," he fumbled with the wording he wanted to use.

"Mom knows I bought condoms?" Jake groaned.

"Yeah. Look, I told her it wasn't a big deal."

"So, it's cool?"

"She's just… concerned."

"That I bought condoms?"

"About you using them."

"She's afraid I won't do it right?"

"Jake," he warned.

"Look, Dad, I'm not having sex."

"Well, that makes sense, since you're buying condoms and all."

"Didn't you ever just buy condoms, for the hell of it?"

Tristan thought for a moment. "Nope."

"God, everything Aunt Lane and Grandma said about you really is true, isn't it?"

"Hey, I may have used my share of condoms in life, but I am still your father," he reminded.

"I know."

"And I'd appreciate it if you could refrain from being watched by concerned adults while buying condoms in the future."

"You got in trouble with Mom?"

"Let's just say she wasn't amused when I gave my honest answer to her question of what would happen if you got laid by college girls before I could talk to you."

Jake laughed. "And I appreciate that."

"So?"

"So what?"

"Were you anticipating a Mrs. Robinson situation this weekend?"

"No. It was just… an opportune time. How long do these things last before they expire?"

"They expire?"

"You didn't know that?"

"How would I know that?"

"It's printed on them!"

"Okay, look, if you have time to read the condoms, you really don't need them. I'll tell your mother she has nothing to worry about."

"Gee thanks. I'll have you know there's this cheerleader, at school. She likes me."

"Now we're making progress. I was starting to worry you only bought them for water balloon purposes."

"Look, Dad, I appreciate that Mom made you call," Jake sighed. "But I have enough crazy going on in this dorm room."

"Fine. If Ella starts listening to Joni Mitchell call me, and we'll come do a forced intervention. You might be afraid of her, but I've lived with Gilmore women far longer than you have."

"Whatever. You're still afraid of Mom."

"Yes. It's called self-preservational instincts. But Ella has half my DNA."

"So, what, she can't maim you?"

"Just keep her plied with brownies, she'll be fine."

Jake looked down at the now empty tray and cringed. "Right. I better go."

XXXX

Since pulling Ambrose into her room, Rosa hadn't said much. Pax hadn't climbed out of her window after the excessively long absence, she found. He'd been at her computer, playing Tetris shirtless. Needless to say, no one had said anything for a long time after she reentered with the other guy.

She gave Pax a helpless look, not even wanting to scream at him for getting so comfortable with a veritable army outside the door. "So, um, Pax, you remember Ambrose, right?"

Pax stood up and took a step toward them. Ambrose had been touching the small of her back, leading her into her own room, and he narrowed his eyes as the touching continued.

"Right."

"And, Am, this is kind of, I mean, this was what I was meaning to tell you," she stepped away from Ambrose and toward Pax, who instantly wrapped his arm around her shoulder.

Pax grinned. "I'd appreciate it if you stopped touching my girlfriend, in the future."

"I didn't know," Ambrose said, not apologetically, just in total shock. "When did this…."

"Recently," Rosa said, at the same time Pax said, "A while ago."

They looked at each other in frustration.

"Trouble in paradise?" Ambrose offered.

"We've been friends a long time," she clarified. "But we just started dating recently."

"Not that that should be any kind of encouragement for you," Pax leaned toward the other guy.

"Why didn't you just tell me?" Ambrose asked Rosa.

She looked at him for a moment. "I wanted to, I just… we haven't exactly told anyone yet. They're all going to flip," she closed her eyes.

"Oh."

"Yeah. I just didn't expect you to show up."

"I thought I'd surprise you. Guess you had the bigger surprise," he nodded numbly.

"I'm sorry. I didn't want you to find out like this."

"Yeah, man, I mean, I could set you up with a college girl for consolation," Pax offered.

Rosa shot him a look. "You are not setting him up with Linzey!"

Pax rolled his eyes. "You think Linzey is the only other college girl I know?"

"If I think about that, what do you think the chances are that you'll be getting to know me any better?"

Pax rolled his eyes. "Seriously, man, I can hook you up."

"I should go. Jake and I, we were actually planning to hit a few parties. This trip was for us to hang."

"Well, we'd join you, but we're not in that 'going out' phase, if you catch my drift," Pax smirked.

Rosa elbowed him in the side. "Will you stop?"

Ambrose held up his hands. "Hey, it's okay. I didn't get the girl," he looked at Rosa. "I'll just talk to you later."

She nodded. "Yeah. And congrats, by the way."

He gave her a smile. "Thanks. You too."

Ambrose left the room, and Rosa turned on Pax, smacking his bare chest.

"Ow! Geez, what was that for?"

"Why didn't you just pee in a circle around me?"

"Is that a serious question?"

"And put a shirt on!"

He looked down. "Why?"

"Because I'm mad at you, and I can't yell at you when you're standing there all bare-chested and gorgeous!"

He smirked. "I'm just as gorgeous with my shirt on."

"Paxton Avery Huntzberger!" she scolded.

He shook his head. "Oh, you want to play the middle name game?" he challenged.

"Excuse me, but I did nothing wrong here," she crossed her arms.

"Oh, really?" he frowned. "Bringing in another guy, a guy that was touching you and looking at you like that, that was okay?"

"He wasn't looking at me," she looked down. "Was he?"

A thought crossed his mind, and he stepped closer as he grabbed his shirt off the back of the chair. "Did you even know for sure I was still in here?"

She bit her lip. "Yes," she lied.

"Ohmigod! You so didn't!" he accused.

"I figured it was about a seventy percent chance," she fessed up.

"So, there was a thirty percent chance you were just leading a horny high school boy into your room for some alone time?"

"Okay, you surpassed crazy about a minute ago," she glared at him.

"You're just mad because you know I'm right!"

"You're not right! You're possessive and crazy!"

"Do you have any other boyfriends I don't know about?"

"I'm sorry, but if you insist on being a jackass, you really should leave," she pointed to the window.

"No, I want to know what you were going to do with Chachi once you got into your room."

"Clearly I was going to show him my 'I heart Pax' t-shirt!" she glared at him.

"If he kissed you, would you have kissed him back?"

"I can't believe we're having this conversation!" she yelled.

"I can't believe we HAVE to have this conversation!"

"So, you don't trust me at all?"

He let out a breath. "I didn't say that," he lowered his voice, trying to calm down. She was nowhere near calm.

"Then what?"

"He was just looking at you like he was about to beat a high score on his favorite video game," he analogized.

"Yeah, that sounds really passionate, I can see where that would upset you," she scoffed.

"And you," he paused. "You looked nervous."

"Well, duh! God, Pax, he shows up, and you're in here! I told you we were going to get caught, and I had to tell him. I knew I couldn't go all weekend with him here, letting him think things."

"So you knew he was thinking things!"

"Yes, but I was just bringing him in here to tell him about us, so I wouldn't have a freaking audience!"

"Oh," he crossed him arms.

"Weren't you going to be leaving?"

"Rose," he stepped closer to her. "I didn't mean to be so crazy, I just," he closed his eyes for a moment, trying to think of a way to phrase this that wouldn't piss her off more. "I'm not used to seeing you with other guys. I didn't think it would affect me that much."

She eyed him. "So, you admit to being jealous?"

"Yes," he said quickly, quietly.

"I'm sorry, what was that? 'Cause if I'm going to forgive you, I'm going to need a big, huge, embarrassing apology."

He cocked his head, looking for mercy. "I don't do this well, you know that."

Her arms remained crossed. "I know. Go on."

"I'm sorry."

She shook her head.

He sighed. "Okay, I'm really sorry. I should have trusted you. Completely. To do whatever was in our best interest. Including bringing the horny high school boy into your room, even if you thought it would be empty."

"Is that tone?"

"No. No tone," he shook his head. "Come on, you forgive me," he stepped closer still, now reaching out to put his arms around her. "Part of you is glad I was jealous."

She scoffed. "Yeah, sure."

"You like that I want you and only you and that I can't stand the thought of some other guy touching you or looking at you."

"Well, it doesn't completely suck," she rolled her eyes. "But he's my friend, and you were obnoxious."

He smiled. "You know what would make this whole fight better?"

She eyed him carefully. "What?"

He leaned down to meet her mouth with his. "Make up sex."

She had to laugh. "Oh, you wish," she kissed him back and helped him back out of his shirt. Because there was no reason, now that she was done yelling, that she be denied the view and feel of a shirtless Pax.

XXXX

"They aren't here!" Davey stood in the middle of the stock room at Doose's Market, arms crossed and clearly tired of the search. Not as tired as Billy, who was sitting on a chair in the corner eating Corn Pops out of the box.

"Thank you, Captain Obvious," Anna rolled her eyes.

"Why are we still here?" Jess asked, checking to see if they had more of the crackers that helped settle Gwen's stomach.

"Can you two please stop shopping?" Anna instructed.

"Hey, I intend to buy out any and every store that has these crackers until that kid is born," Jess said, then looked to Will. "Just you wait."

Will shuddered. "I think we should just keep on task here."

"Well, unless someone shrunk them and put them in the Corn Pops box as a prize, we aren't going to find them in here," Jess glared at Billy.

"What?" he asked, with a cereal-filled mouth.

Lia looked at him in disgust. "I can't believe you have a girlfriend."

"What are you, jealous?" he shot back.

"Okay, again, I must call for a refocus on the goal!" Will clapped his hands.

"Fine," Jess finished stacking up his boxes of crackers. "Where do you want us to look?"

"How about the freezer case overflow?"

"No way," Davey shook his head.

"Why not?" Mallory asked.

"Because it'll turn into an _I Love Lucy_ episode. We'll all get locked in and then they'll have to send a search party for us," Dave explained.

"So, one of us goes in," Lia rolled her eyes. "Guys are so dumb," she shook her head.

Billy opened up his mouth to say something, but Anna grabbed him and her older brother and pushed them toward the door. "Oh, look, two volunteers. Don't close the door," she shoved them in.

"Testing, testing," Kirk's voice came in, all crackly over the walkie-talkies.

Jess rolled his eyes and picked up the walkie. "What is it, Kirk?"

"It's been more than thirty minutes. What is your status?"

Jess sighed. "We're still looking, Kirk."

"Do you need back up? I repeat, do you need back up?"

"No! Get off the line, Kirk!" Jess chirped. He turned the walkie off completely and pulled out his cell phone that had begun to ring. He assumed it was Gwen or Jules and moved to a quieter corner to answer.

"Hello?"

"Jess! Good."

"Luke?" he asked, in complete disbelief.

"Yeah? Can you hear me? This connection is crap."

"I can hear you. Where the hell ARE you?"

"I'm at a pay phone in a third world country, apparently," he crackled.

"I'm serious!"

"Geez, calm down. Is something wrong?"

"Is something wrong? Where the hell have you been?"

"What? We took a little vacation," he said.

"Then why didn't Lorelai tell Rory or Will? Do know what you've put us all through?"

"The whole family is concerned?"

"You wish. The whole town is searching for you. Have you ever been in the basement under Al's?"

"No, why?"

"Because I have about an hour of my life I can't get back that was spent in the basement under Al's Pancake World."

"Why would you be in the basement under Al's Pancake World?"

"I don't know, why would you be in a box of cereal?" he retorted.

"I don't understand what we're talking about," Luke admitted.

"The town has organized a search party. Actually, Kirk organized the search party."

"Kirk? I'm gonna kill him!"

"Well, get in line, because I'm gonna kill you!"

"What? Why?"

"You remember when I was living with you? All that crap about picking up a goddamn phone?"

"When did you ever listen to anything I said when you were living with me?"

"Are you on your way home from this third world country?"

"We're in Germany, waiting for a connecting flight from Italy."

"Neither of those are third world countries."

"I was being sarcastic. Normally you pick up on that."

"Normally I haven't spent my romantic weekend away looking for your sorry ass with a town full of recently released mental patients!"

"Look, I'm sorry. We didn't think anyone would notice."

"Wouldn't notice? Luke, Caesar's been making pancakes."

"I thought Lorelai was always making that up to bug me."

"His pancakes suck. Yours are lighter and fluffier."

"Really?" Luke smirked.

"Shut up. I'm still killing you when you get home. I can make my own damn fluffy pancakes."

"Hey, Jess," Will came up, frowning. "Is everything okay?"

"Uh, I gotta go," he hung up his cell phone and looked at Will. "I gotta tell you something."

"More advice about married life?"

"No…," Jess cringed. "That was your dad."

Will's eyes widened. "What? Where in the hell is he?"

Jess held up a hand. " Germany."

" GERMANY?"

Anna came up with her arms crossed behind them and looked at her little sister. "Well, it's definitely farther than Woodbridge."

"But less weird than shrunken and in a box of Corn Pops," Lia pointed out.

"What did he say?"

"They're sorry everyone's freaking out. Apparently, they needed a vacation."

"A vacation? They skipped the country!"

Davey came out of the freezer, shivering. "They aren't in there. But they have frozen waffles from before I was born in the back," he ran his hand up and down his arms. "What?"

"Come on, let's go call off the search," Anna sighed, rubbing Will's back with one hand.

"For what? Old frozen waffles?" Billy asked.

Lia rolled her eyes as Jess collected his crackers and the herd make their way back out toward the store.

XXXX

Rory was lying with a cool washcloth over her forehead, on the chaise lounge in Tristan's old bedroom. He eased the door shut and sat on the edge of the cushion, putting one hand on her stomach.

"How'd it go?"

"Long day," she groaned. "Long day."

"Sorry," he kissed her lips lightly. "What happened?"

She removed the cloth and looked at him. "I know she's going through a hard time, but she wouldn't let up about the whole moving situation."

"Sorry," he cringed again.

"Apparently, I should be more supportive of you staying in North Carolina," she glowered at him.

"I'll talk to her," he kissed her again. "Thanks for taking her all day."

Rory replaced the washcloth. "Uh-huh."

"I realize I'll be making it up to you."

"Good. I hope you realize all the work it's going to take to make it up to me."

He smiled. "Hey, I even talked to Jake, like you wanted me to."

She sat up, holding the cloth again. "It wasn't like your first sex talk, was it?"

He frowned. "My first sex talk went very well," he protested.

She rolled her eyes. "You might as well have handed him a Penthouse magazine," she glared.

"I was informative."

"You were boastful," she poked him in the chest.

"Did you want him to walk away without the wisdom I had in spades?"

"I don't think he actually needed to know about dating twins," she said with distaste.

"Now he'll be prepared, if it ever comes up."

"What if he runs into a bus full of horny cheerleaders?"

Tristan smirked. "He can call me. I didn't want to overwhelm the boy."

She laid back down, the cloth back in place. "Never mind. I don't want to know anymore."

Tristan sighed. "He's not having sex."

"Are you sure?"

"He's read the back of the condom packets. Individually. He's just curious and trying to be well prepared."

"In case of cheerleaders?"

"Just in general."

"I see. Well, that's different. I'll definitely sleep better tonight."

"Don't worry. He's being tortured by his sister, he's fine."

"Oh, good," Rory breathed a true sigh of relief. "How was your day?"

"Good. Dad and I went over the last of the estate papers, the will," he said quietly.

Rory reached out for his hand. "Sorry."

"Don't be."

"No, I'm going on about condoms and it just seems … I don't know. Not important."

"It is. It would be if Dad wasn't sick, so it still is."

"I know. But still. It sucks. I don't even know what I'd be doing, if this were Mom," she was up again, holding his hand.

"You'd be fine. I'd be there for you, like you have for me."

She nodded, not wanting to think about it more in depth. "Can I do anything else? Do you need anything?"

He shook his head. "He's so calm about it."

Rory looked up at him. "What do you mean?"

"He's really accepted this. He's not just putting on a brave face for Mom or me," he swallowed.

"Oh."

"I expected him to be angry, or upset," he shook his head.

"He's known a lot longer than you have," she began. "And it's it better, that he's okay with it, isn't it?"

Tristan shrugged. "I guess. I'm not sure I'll ever be okay with it."

"I know."

"Anyhow, we're supposed to go down and have dinner with them," he said.

"Oh. Right," she said, still looking exhausted.

"But I told them we should probably rest for a while. Dad had a long day," he smiled. "How about a nap?"

She scooted over on the chaise, and he sidled up beside her. "You still owe me a little."

"I just bought you nap time. That's priceless," he murmured into her hair as they easily drifted into sleep.

XXXX

"We can't go home."

Lorelai looked up from her big pretzel and coffee. "What? Why?"

"You didn't like the Italians, but you like the Germans?" she guessed when he didn't say anything.

"No! And why do they put sauerkraut on everything? It's supposed to come on the side," he pointed out.

"Amen," she held up the pretzel. "This one was the safest option, plus it came with my choice of cheese dipping sauce or a cinnamon sugar icing," she held up both. "And it only took a little flirting to get both."

"Lorelai," he sighed.

"What? I did it for us, so we can share."

"I just talked to Jess."

She frowned. "So?"

"So, the town organized a search party, and they've been looking for us for forty-eight hours now."

She listened to him and a full second after he finished, she burst out laughing.

"Lorelai," he shook his head. "People are staring," he warned.

"Ohmigod," she giggled. "Is it wrong that I'm totally bummed to have missed out on that? Maybe someone else will go missing next year, and we can do an annual thing," she said in thought. "We could hide Andrew, or Gypsy," she offered.

"I'm not kidding! They're all very upset; Jess threatened to kill me."

"Oh, like that's the first time," she scoffed.

"He had to search the basement of Al's Pancake World," he said with a stoic face.

Lorelai giggled. "So, you might have to join the Witness Protection Program."

"I'm serious! I told you we should have called someone."

She put down her pretzel. "Did you really want to explain what we were doing?"

He sighed. "No. And I'm glad we did it."

"Me too," she squeezed his hand, "and it can't be as bad as Jess made it out to be."

"Yes, because Jess often over exaggerates things."

"Well, I think it's still safe for us to go home. Besides, if they were concerned enough to put together a search party, then they'll be happy that we're home."

Luke shrugged. "Fine. It's your funeral. I'm joining the Witness Protection Program."

Lorelai rolled her eyes, opened her cell phone, and winced when it said she had 108 missed calls. "Jeez, you'd think it'd get tired and quit counting. I know I would."

Luke nodded. "Yeah. Apparently we should have at least turned them on before now. If I were you, I'd just delete all the messages without listening. They get kinda hostile."

"I'll just call Rory. I'm sure it's fine," she didn't sound as sure as she wanted to.

"I'd hold the phone away from your ear if I were you."

She rolled her eyes and waited for the pick up. When Rory finally answered, she sounded far away and groggy.

"Hello?"

"Hey, Hon! It's me!"

"Mom?" she asked.

"Yeah, Babe, it's me. How's Tristan's dad?"

This wasn't going as badly as she thought. Luke was totally taking it out of proportion.

"Mom? Where the hell have you been?" she asked, fully waking up now.

Lorelai winced. "We took a vacation."

"A vacation? A VACATION? Do you have any idea how worried we've all been? Jess is in Stars Hollow, searching for you!"

"I know, and they know we're fine. Luke just called him."

"I can't believe this! Why didn't you just tell someone?"

"It was a spur of the moment, romantic thing. We're fine. Don't worry about us. How are things there?"

Rory huffed. "Just… stressful. What with my missing parents," she guilted.

"I'm sorry!"

"Good!"

"I'll never do it again."

"I know. Because if you do, I'll have you declared mentally incompetent and put you in a home," she threatened.

"You're crabby!"

"Well, you scared me! And I spent all day with Tristan's mom."

"Aww."

"Yeah. She's still of the opinion that we don't have to move back up from North Carolina. They really haven't gotten the message that our plans are set. We're moving back."

"Well, I'm glad that's all settled. Are you going to wait until the new house is sold to move into the old one, or are you just going to move now?"

"What?"

"I guess it doesn't matter, I mean, it's not like you're paying two mortgages. You had the old house paid off a few years ago, right?"

"The house in White Plains? It's not on the market."

"I know," she said. "He didn't tell you I knew?"

"Knew what?"

"Uh," Lorelai started to get the feeling that their plans weren't as 'finalized' as Rory thought they were. "Nothing. I think we're getting a bad connection."

"Mom," Rory warned.

"Aren't you talking about moving into the old house?"

"How can we do that? I just said it's not on the market," she began. "Oh my… Tristan… Tristan, wake up!" she said, still in Lorelai's earshot.

Lorelai winced as she heard her son-in-law wake up in shock. "Rory? What's going on?"

"YOU NEVER SOLD THE HOUSE?"

Lorelai cringed and looked to Luke, covering the mouthpiece. "Maybe we shouldn't go home, after all."

Luke just shrugged, grabbed a magazine, and tore off a piece of her big pretzel.


	68. Chapter 68

"I really don't think we should go in there," Lorelai grabbed Luke's arm as he reached for the door to Ms. Patty's School of Dance.

Luke sighed. "They left notes on the door, the answering machine, and taped to the bathroom mirror for us to come here now," he pointed out.

"Exactly. Someone broke into our house to leave us threatening messages. We should go to the police."

Luke shook his head. "It was probably just Jess. He does have a key."

Lorelai bit her lip. "Rory was really mad. And you said Jess was too."

"It could be something important happening in the town that they need to inform business owners of. We are business owners, not to mention in regular attendance for these meetings since the beginning of time."

"Yeah," she agreed, but looked distrustfully at the door. "I still smell an angry mob. We're about to be lynched."

Luke rolled his eyes. "We're not about to be lynched."

"How do you know?" she pressed.

"Because we're not in the South," he said quickly and used his hand to push her by the small of her back into the building.

The packed room became instantly silent when the pair entered the sliding door. Both had been ambushed in Ms. Patty's Dance Studio before, but neither of them had ever had such a foreboding sense of hostility upon just entering. Lorelai grabbed Luke's hand as they halted in the doorway.

Seated in the first two rows of folding chairs were their family members and closest friends. Both were surprised to see Jess and his family, sans Ambrose. Jess hadn't ever been an active participant in town meetings, even when he'd lived in Stars Hollow decades prior. Jess was sitting on the aisle, his arms crossed over his chest. Gwen sat next to him, her hand on his back, as if to calm him. Jules sat between Gwen and Lia Melville, and didn't look happy to see her great uncle as she normally did. In fact, the look on Jules' face was similar to those on every other person in the crowded room. It looked like all of Stars Hollow had packed into the room, all ready to tar and feather them.

"We're back!" Lorelai offered brightly.

"Where the hell have you been?" Sookie Melville stood up from the second row, where the rest of her family had sat down behind the Mariano line.

"You owe us $1732," Andrew announced from his seat on the other side of the studio.

"We… what?" Luke shook his head at the announcement.

"That's not even the cost of labor, it only covers supplies and food losses," Kirk Gleason said from behind the podium.

"Labor for what?" Lorelai asked.

"The search party. Which reminds me, people, I am going to need all walkie-talkies returned to me by midnight tonight, or I will be sending out itemized bills to those who haven't checked them back in."

"Shut up about the walkie-talkies, Kirk," Gypsy snarked.

Kirk flipped through his paperwork. "Seems you also are harboring a Mag-Lite and several Bic pens."

"We have bigger problems than Bic pens," Joe declared. "I want the names of those people that were in my stock room. My stock boys have reported a severe cereal shortage."

"Can we please focus?" Sookie asked as her son cowered in his seat.

"Do we have the screen set up?" Andrew checked.

"I did it myself," Kirk responded. "It's all set up."

"Then why can't we see anything?" Gypsy asked.

"Because Kirk set it up," Jess stood up and moved to mess with some wires, and instantly Rory came into view on the screen that had been set up on the stage.

"Is that Rory?" Lorleai asked, completely in shock. "Is that a tape?"

"It's a live feed. We felt she had a right to be here," Kirk explained.

"She was worried sick, just like the rest of us," Will piped up, causing his parents to look at him with guilt smeared all over their expressions.

"We just went on vacation, I don't understand," Luke began.

"Vacation? Who goes on vacation without telling anyone? Especially two people that run their own businesses; two people that have kids and friends and family that care about them and depend on them," Will began.

"Will, we realize we should have called; it was a spur of the moment decision," Lorelai tried to explain.

"Spur of the moment, unlike what you and Tristan pulled," Rory spoke up from the screen.

"What?"

"Don't patronize me! You were in on the house thing the whole time!"

"What house thing?" Jess asked.

"Tristan never sold the house in New York," she explained.

Jess turned to Lorelai. "And you knew about this? All that time, she spent freaking out about moving and leaving that house, and you knew he kept it?"

"It was supposed to be a surprise; a happy surprise," Lorelai began.

"She doesn't look very happy," Luke noted as he looked at Rory on the screen.

"How is that helpful?" Lorelai asked him.

"People, people, let's keep on the task at hand. How do you propose to compensate us?" Kirk bellowed.

"Compensate who?" Luke asked.

"You owe us, the town of Stars Hollow—what was the figure again, Andrew?"

"$1732."

"Yes, and as was pointed out, that only covers our basic costs."

"You want us to pay you because you flipped out while we went on vacation?" Luke clarified. "Is this about Caesar's pancakes?"

"The entire town was worried," Anna spoke up, then as upon looking at her brother she rolled her eyes. "Almost the entire town."

"In the very least, I think you should have to sign some kind of waiver, promising you won't just up and leave like this again."

"Just because we went on vacation?" Lorelai inquired.

"You don't understand—everyone stopped what they were doing. They cancelled plans, put off work, all to stop and look for you, hoping that you were okay!" Jackson blurted out.

Sookie rubbed his arm. "Feel better?"

"I don't, as a matter of fact. Joe has cereal losses, Jess and Gwen cancelled their weekend getaway, Jules worked at the diner, and Sookie had to make extra food for the searchers all the while running the Inn by herself," he began.

Lorelai held up her hands. "Okay, we get it, we get it. Look, everyone, we're very touched," Luke snorted, and she shot him a look, "that so many people took time out of their lives, and that we have so many people that care about us so much, but I think this was just a big misunderstanding."

She looked at the video screen. "Rory, I'm sorry, I really thought you'd be happy when you found out he kept the house."

They could hear a knocking in the background, and a male voice calling her name. Rory let out a sigh. "Not now, Tristan! Look, Mom, I don't have time for this now. I … I'm glad you're safe, but do us all a favor next time you go on vacation and call us first?"

Lorelai nodded. "I will. Do you need anything there? I could swing by Hartford tomorrow, take you out to lunch or something?"

Rory shook her head. "I'm fine. I'll call you later," she promised, and then the screen went black.

"So, that's it? We can't be done! They need to be punished!" Kirk piped up.

"Punished? We didn't commit a crime, we left town for a couple of days," Luke maintained their innocence.

Kirk pouted. "We should all at least get free coffee or something."

"Is that what it would take to appease you? Free coffee?"

"I'd like my weekend getaway back," Jess spoke up. "With a place to put up Jules while we're gone."

"We can do that," Lorelai offered and smiled at her extended family. "Anything else?"

"Don't encourage them," Luke gruffed.

"I'd like my garage cleaned out," Gypsy spoke up.

Luke blanched. "Your shop?"

"No, at my house. I'm thinking about converting it to a guest bedroom, but Tom says I can't pay him enough to get rid of all the junk before he can even get in to give me an estimate."

"I suppose we could come over and help," Lorelai looked at Luke.

"My manglys need extra supervision," Jackson went next.

"Your… what?" Luke furrowed his brow.

"It's my new hybrid. Mangos and ugly fruit," Jackson said, as if they should have known.

"They're actually quite good," Lia offered, earning a smile from her father.

"I'm in the first round of growing, and their environment needs constant supervision. I could use some extra people to stop in at certain times of the day and check the humidity in that section of the greenhouse."

Luke let out a sigh of resignation. "Fine. We will check on your," he paused for a moment, "manglys."

Everyone else began listing off their list of demands. Luke shouted to quiet them and finally resorted to letting out a loud whistle. "Look, I understand that living in this town brings with it a certain level of attachment and responsibility to respond to all the insane restrictions and complications that riddle our every day lives, and until I can convince Lorelai to move far, far away from here, I must go along with at least a modicum of these things, but in the interest of not dying in this room, could you all write down your list of demands?"

"Will you sign a legal document attesting that you will honor this list?"

"No lawyers, Kirk," Luke glared.

"We promise to honor the list," Lorelai put her hand to her heart. "Do you want me to swear on a book of some kind?"

"She means that I will honor the damn list," Luke gruffed. "Can this be over now, please?"

"Just, um, drop it off at the Inn tomorrow?" Lorelai offered.

"I'll deliver it myself," Kirk offered.

"As long as we have a plan. Can we go?" Luke asked again.

"Okay, okay, hang on. Kids?" Lorelai looked over at Will and Jess. "Would you meet us at the house in a bit?"

The extended Danes family nodded, and she smiled and addressed the crowd again. "Again, everyone, we're so sorry about all this."

"Sorry enough to head up the Thanksgiving Day Parade costume committee?" Kirk asked.

"Er, um, we'll talk," she said and grabbed Luke's hand as they fled the scene of the attack.

"Well, that was fun," Lorelai said as they walked back toward their house.

"You still believe that living here has its own unique perks?" he quoted her.

"I reserve judgment until I've seen that list. I have a feeling I'll be sewing until I'm 80."

He wrapped an arm around her waist. "Was it worth it?"

She admired the ring that was back on her finger and then looked up into his eyes. "Yeah. It was."

He kissed her and they continued on their way home.

XXXX

"Rory, come on!" Tristan leaned his head against the solid wooden door.

"Honey?" his mother came up behind him and put a hand on his shoulder. "Is something wrong?"

He sighed and turned slightly from the door. "It's fine. How's Dad?"

She gave a weary smile. "He's resting. Did you two have a fight?"

"It's just a misunderstanding."

She arched an eyebrow. She knew her son way better than that.

"She made me leave the room."

"What did you do?"

"Why do you assume I'm the one that did something wrong?"

"Honey, I've been married to your father for a long time, and I've been your mother nearly as long. What did you do?"

He let out a breath. "I sort of, kind of, kept the old house without telling her."

Her eyes widened. "Stupid."

"Yeah."

"So, you never planned on staying in North Carolina?" she inquired.

"It's not that. The move was about my job. But I just couldn't bring myself to sell that house. Rory kept going on about how all our memories were there, and it's not like we needed to sell it. I thought I'd hold onto it for a while, just in case. And it's a good thing I did. Now we can just move back and put the new one back on the market. Maybe we'll put some work into it, that's popular now, house flipping."

"So, you both want to move back? What about your job?"

"I can find a position nearby. It might not be running my own team, but that opportunity will come up again."

"What about Rory?"

"What about her?"

Elizabeth put her hand to her forehead. "What does she want?"

He pointed to the door. "That would require her talking to me, which hasn't happened yet."

"Well, what are you waiting for?" she asked, impatiently.

He looked at her helplessly. "What?"

She turned him and pushed him to the door. "Go talk to her."

"I can't go in there!"

"Why not?"

"She's pissed!"

"Are you telling me you're afraid of your wife?"

He hesitated. "No," he did his best to be convincing. "Maybe. A little."

"Well, at least you're smart. Now, get in there and don't come out until you've come to a mutual understanding."

He took a deep breath and looked at the door. .He looked at her once more, and she nodded toward his now impending fate.

"All right. But if I lose body parts, I'm holding you accountable."

Elizabeth smiled. "Somehow I think I'll live with myself just fine."

Tristan rolled his eyes and turned to the lock, giving it a look of concentration.

XXXX

"No."

"Why not?"

"You can do way better."

"This isn't about a life-long commitment. I was just going to ask her to dance."

Ambrose shook his head. "You can still do a lot better. How about her?"

Jake shrugged. "She's wearing leg warmers."

Ambrose peered at the girl's legs. "Huh. Okay, moving on. How about her?"

Jake shrugged.

"Look, it's like you said, it's just a dance. But if you're aiming for a cheerleader back at school, at least keep your standards high elsewhere."

"Maybe I should just be focusing on Sarah."

Ambrose looked at him. "Sarah?"

Jake sighed. "The aforementioned cheerleader."

"Right."

"What about you?"

Ambrose hesitated. "What about me?"

"I know you're bummed about the Rosa thing."

"I don't know what you're talking about."

"So she's dating that Pax guy. It probably won't last. This group seems to cycle through each other pretty quickly, especially if my sister is any indicator."

Ambrose shrugged. "Doesn't matter."

Jake considered his best friend and knew better than to believe him. "Right. So, which girl looks good to you?"

"Why are they all blonde?"

Jake scanned the crowd. "There's a redhead. Who doesn't love a good redhead?"

"She's okay."

"Okay? Look at her legs!"

"I think I'm just gonna go get something to drink. Go on, ask the redhead to dance," Am nudged.

"Hey, you want to just get out of here?"

Ambrose shook it off. "No, seriously. I'm going to get a drink. We came to have a good time, so go ask the pretty girl to dance."

Jake watched him head out toward the keg and in the interest of preserving the spirit of the evening, he headed over to the redhead and asked her to dance.

XXXX

The kids all sat in the living room. Looking at them, they resembled a gathering of adults more than kids, though in her heart Lorelai would never see them as anything but her children. Even Jess, with his own teenage daughter sitting with her arms crossed over her chest like a mini homage to the teenage boy he once was. Over the years her family and Luke's family had become one to the point that she couldn't imagine any of them not in her life.

"I'm glad you all came over," she sat on the coffee table in front of the group. Luke brought out a tray of warm drinks and put them next to her, handing them out to those they needed to apologize to a bit more than the general public.

"You asked us to," Will sighed.

"Honey, we had no idea," she rubbed the bridge of her nose. "We just needed to get away. We didn't expect the Spanish Inquisition."

"Nobody expects the Spanish Inquisition," Jules muttered, causing Jess to break out into a proud smile and put his arm around her.

"Look, Luke, Lorelai, we understand that you were just trying to get away. If you were in New York, no one would have noticed until someone broke into your place and left the kicked in remains of the door hanging on the hinge. But this is Stars Hollow. Your next door neighbor wakes up and picks up her binoculars to look into your windows before drinking her morning coffee. People notice stuff."

Luke looked at Lorelai. "Is that true?"

Lorelai cringed. "It started when I broke my leg when Rory was little. She was afraid that Rory would need something and I would have fallen on the floor, unable to get back up again."

"We really, really need to move."

"I hear Rory and Tristan have an extra house," Will mentioned, earning him a clip in the ribs from Anna.

"We're dealing with one angry mob at a time," Lorelai held up a hand. "We appreciate everything that everyone did, and we're truly sorry that we made you all worry. That was never our intention."

"We know that," Anna assured her. "We all feel the pressures of life from time to time, and we have to get away. Especially with everything you've been going through."

Luke smiled at what he thought was his soon-to-be daughter-in-law. "Look, we're back now, and we're going to focus on everything else that needs to happen. Jess, you take Gwen on your getaway. Jules can stay with us and we can go get Ambrose from Yale if we need to. Will and Anna, keep focusing on school and we'll make sure everything is in line for the wedding."

"What about that list of crap the town is going to make you do?"

"We'll figure that out," Lorelai told Jules. "Don't worry about us."

Will and Anna exchanged a worried glance. Jess and Gwen shared a similar look before Jess turned to what he considered the sanest of his blood family members. "If that's what you really want. But if you two need anything, you'll call us?"

Lorelai nodded. "We will. Now, Jess and Gwen, head over to the Dragonfly for tonight. You can leave for your vacation tomorrow after a good night's sleep. Will, do you two need anything?"

Will stood up and shook his head. "We're okay. Uh, Jess, could I talk to you for a minute before you go?"

Jess nodded and gave Jules a kiss on the cheek before walking out onto the front porch with his nephew, leaving the girls inside with Luke and Lorelai.

"What's up, kid?"

Will leaned against the railing. "I think we should call it all off."

Jess frowned. "Call what off? The wedding?"

Will nodded. "It's not like we need it. Anna and I, we don't need it. We could just come clean and not put them through all of the extra stuff. I mean, they ran away from home, and now they have to deal with the town—they don't need to be trying to throw us a wedding we don't need."

"You can't call off the wedding. Forget the fact that they'll kill you for having eloped and kept it a secret all this time. Because it would be a slow death for the both of you. But it's not just Luke and Lorelai and Sookie and Jackson that are looking forward to seeing you get married. This is like the town's culmination of a lifelong dream. They want to throw bridal showers and decorate the town and have unnecessary parties in your honor. Hell, your wedding day may be declared a holiday. Your birthday was," Jess shook his head.

"It was?"

"Will, this is just the kind of stuff you do for family. When you do something stupid or selfish, you own up to it, and if necessary, you lie your ass off to protect them from pain."

Will let out a breath. "Well, what about you?"

Jess looked at him warily. "What about me?"

"Well, you did something selfish when you eloped, didn't you?"

"That was different. That wasn't for me, necessarily. That was for the well-being of Gwen and the baby. Plus, I've been forced into a huge wedding before. I didn't enjoy it the first time. Besides, I'm not a part of this town. The only party they ever threw me was when I left town."

Will smiled. "You took part in the search party."

"So?"

"So, that is taking part in the town."

"Stop. You're reminding me of your sister."

Will laughed. "You have to tell them, you know."

"And we will. When everything calms down. Besides, we're telling people, slowly. You know, Rory and Tristan know. My kids know. My mother," he groaned.

Will patted him on the back. "So, we just have to keep up the charade a while longer?"

"Oh, no. The charade will go on until you die. You're going to have two wedding anniversaries every year," Jess teased.

Will looked panicked. "But… we can tell them afterward, can't we?"

Jess shook his head as he turned back to the door to get Gwen. "Slow and excruciatingly painful."

XXXX

Rory's head snapped up as the door handle turned. "How did you do that?"

Tristan rolled his eyes. "I grew up here. You honestly think I don't know how to pick all the locks?"

She glared at him. "Get out!"

"No," he moved to stand in front of her.

"Excuse me?"

"I said no. You know, I don't even get why you're pissed at me at all."

"You don't… what?"

He could see that her anger was running unchecked, so he figured fast talking was his only option. "As I see it, you loved that house, correct?"

"Of course I loved that house!"

"And you thought you'd lost the house that you loved."

"Exactly!"

"But now, you know you haven't lost it. It's still there, in our names, waiting for us to move back in."

"I realize this, but," she shook her head.

"Really, I've done a good thing, so I refuse to wait in the hall until you to realize this."

"You really think that lying to your wife should have no repercussions?"

"I didn't lie, technically."

"You told me you sold the house!"

"No, I told you it was taken care of."

"You let me think," she yelled.

"I might have implied--," he began.

"Implied? You arrogant, house-hiding," she cut him off.

"Arrogant? I'm sorry, I hardly see how giving you something you wanted qualifies me for arrogance," he countered.

"You thought you could get away with it! That you could hide real estate from me, and I'd just live blind to that fact? What else have you been hiding from me?"

"You are not going there," he warned.

"Again, you hid a house!"

"For you! Don't you see that everything I do is for you?"

"Really? Because I don't remember ever saying I wanted to live in North Carolina. Not now and not before! You asked me to move there in college! Not because it was the best school for me, but because you wanted to be here."

"That was before we were married. And if you remember, I transferred to be with you, even though my entire life was in North Carolina at the time."

"Your entire life wasn't there! Your family was in Connecticut, I was in Connecticut, and a much better school awaited you there!"

"I wouldn't have survived if I'd never gone to UNC, Rory," he shot back.

"I know, but," she was cut off again.

"I don't recall it feeling so selfish when I left everything that was finally allowing me to live my own life when I moved to be with you."

"So, what? You're sorry that you did that?"

"No! God, can't you ever hear what I'm--," he was cut off by a scream coming from down the hall.

Rory and Tristan looked at one another for a second, ashamed of themselves, before rushing down the hall to answer Elizabeth's cries for help.

XXXX

Ella stood in her doorframe, staring at Jasper for a long minute. He stood there, holding a wrapped present in his hands. He hadn't spoken, and she found herself unable as well.

"Can I come in?" he asked finally.

She held fast to the door. "Oh, um, right. Come in," she opened it enough to let him come into the main room.

"Are we alone?" he looked to Rosa's closed door.

"Uh, I think so. It's been hard to tell lately," she furrowed her brow as she looked at Rosa's room.

He nodded in realization. "Right. Anyway, I need to talk to you."

She couldn't find her voice again, but she did manage to let go of the door long enough to close it. She took the few steps necessary to stand in front of him and found that her stomach was doing more flips than it did at a whole day spent at an amusement park.

"Right. So, man, this is kind of hard," he admitted.

She watched him with wide eyes. "What's hard?"

"I'm never nervous," he looked at her. "In fact, I've been known to do just about anything, mainly in response to someone telling me I couldn't or shouldn't," he went on.

"Okay," she listened.

"Not that I'm just some stupid, reactive frat boy."

She shook her head. "I wouldn't say you were."

"I'm just saying, this is a new feeling for me."

She nodded. "Got it."

He let out a breath and looked at the box. "Do you like baseball?"

Now she looked really confused. "You came to talk about baseball?"

"No, I came, well, here," he held out the wrapped box, and she took it from him.

She held it up. "Is it a mitt?"

He rolled his eyes. "Just, open it. Please?"

She noted the nervous look that again filled his eyes, and she slid a nail under the paper to remove the wrapping. Upon revealing the contents, she looked from it to him. "Should I open it?"

He nodded and waited, feeling as if he were about to burst.

She slid her hand into the box of candied popcorn and made contact with an envelope. She extracted it and saw her name on the outside. Again, she looked at him and continued.

It was a note wrapped around a pair of tickets to see the Yankees that weekend, much like she'd received in the weeks past with every other gift she'd gotten. Her eyes welled up with tears, as she finally understood.

"So, do you want to go to a baseball game?" he asked, not sure how to take the glassy eyes.

"With you?" she clarified.

He smiled. "Yes, with me."

She nodded and looked up into his eyes. Relief flooded him, and he stepped forward to wrap his arms around her. She wrapped her arms around his shoulders, still clutching the Cracker Jacks in one hand and the tickets in the other. In his exuberance, he lifted her up off the ground, making her giggle. He set her down gently on the ground and looked at her. She blinked once, but didn't look away. Her smile faded only a little as she prepared for his lips to come into contact with hers. It wasn't their first kiss, but it had all the great elements of great first kisses. He didn't dive right in, but he waited for her response before truly showing his passion. It made her spine go tingly and her knees feel weak. It was delicious in all its clichéd perfection.

"How about we get out of here and get some coffee?"

She nodded, feeling the flush of her cheeks. A kiss like that was only going to lead to more kissing, and she figured they should probably have their first official date as a couple before she invited him back to her room. She grabbed her keys as he opened the door. He reached out for her hand naturally, and she smiled sadly as she took it.

"You okay?"

"Yeah, it's just, I'm gonna miss having a secret admirer," she looked at him, her eyes shining with happiness.

"You really didn't know it was me?"

She took a deep breath. "I wanted to think, but, after all that happened with Pax, I figured," she paused, not getting the words out right. "I figured you'd moved on."

He pulled her closer and put an arm around her shoulders. "I found myself unable."

She leaned up and kissed him quickly as they walked. "Good."

XXXX

Grey knocked at the door and waited a ridiculous amount of time before the door finally opened. His sister stood before him, still trying to put her hair to rights. "Oh. Hi."

"Move over," he pushed past her and entered her bedroom.

"Hey!" she called out in protest as he moved to her closet and opened the door.

"Hi, Pax," he nodded with a straight face.

"Uh, hey, man," Pax cleared his throat.

"Put a shirt on. This could take a while."

Pax glanced to Rosa, who threw his shirt at his head so he could slip it on. He pulled his arms through and stepped out into Rosa's bedroom.

"Um, Grey, is there something I can help you with?" Rosa asked pointedly.

"You guys suck at hiding things, by the way," he sat on the chair.

Rosa and Pax exchanged glances. "We weren't really ready to tell anyone yet."

Grey looked to Pax. "Just refrain from discussing the intimate details of you and my sister in my presence and we'll be fine."

"That really won't be a problem," Pax assured him.

"That's not what's bothering you," Rosa probed her twin. "What gives?"

"You were right about Ella's secret admirer," he looked at her.

Rosa looked at her brother curiously. "So… seriously?"

He shrugged. "It's not that big of a deal."

"Well, you knew it wasn't you, right?" Pax asked, confused by the conversation. "And clearly you knew it wasn't me."

"But he was hoping she wouldn't be hoping it was Jasper," Rosa supplied. "When did this happen?"

"He told her it was him tonight," Grey explained.

"That's not what I meant. I thought you were only faithful to the idea of dating as many women as humanly possible."

"Wait… you and Ella?" Pax finally caught on.

"It's about time," Rosa rolled her eyes at her boyfriend.

"There is no me and Ella," Grey corrected.

"But you entertained the idea?"

Grey stood up, agitated. "We've just been spending a lot of time together, studying, talking. We had this weird moment, and I don't know. That's all it was, clearly."

"Did you talk to Ella about it? Maybe she had a moment, too."

"Don't listen to her, that's chick talk. You're smart to just let it go," Pax advised.

"Don't take relationship advice from him, he was lucky to get me in the first place," Rosa told her brother.

"God, you two sound like an old married couple! Good luck keeping this under wraps much longer," he snarked.

"Look, even when I was dating Ella at the same time as she was seeing Jasper, I knew she was more into him. She's a cool girl, and I think it's just her personality to draw people in, even if she's not interested that way."

Rosa nodded. "Pax, while dangerously dancing around being wildly inappropriate with the details of his former relationship with my best friend, has a point. Maybe it wasn't a moment."

Grey shrugged. "It doesn't matter. I'm just glad there are no more secrets. Jasper has outed himself to Ella, and I've outed you two."

"Um, Grey, about that," Rosa eyed Pax, having a silent conversation. "While clearly we can't fool you, we're not really ready to share this with everyone yet."

Pax nodded, thinking that he'd already told Jasper without her approval. The only people he really wanted this shielded from was their parents, who would be relentless in their joy and future plan making.

"Who are you, Chandler and Monica? Just come out with it and be done. What's the worst that could happen?"

"Imagine Mom, Aunt Katherine, and Aunt Amy once they find out."

Grey grimaced. "Fine. But I'm not going to lie for you."

Rosa thought for a moment. "Fair enough. Is there anything I can do for you? I can send the boy home and you can hang out here for a while. Have some twin time."

"Hey," Pax protested.

"No, I don't want to ruin your night. Wait, you aren't going to stay all night, are you?" Grey looked at Pax, horrified.

Pax looked at Rosa quickly. "Um, no. No plans for that at all," he lied.

"Oh, gross," Grey complained. "I need a beer," he walked out of the room to see the main door open. Ella came hurrying in, Jasper fast on her heels. Rosa had followed Grey out, Pax, bringing up the rear.

"What's going on? Are you okay?" Rosa called to Ella.

"Have you seen my purse? I need my purse. And books. And, oh God, I don't know how long I'll be there," she turned to face the group. Jasper came up behind her and put his hands on her shoulders.

"It's going to be fine. Rose, can you help her gather her stuff?"

Rosa nodded and went into Ella's room with her to pack. "You okay?"

"My grandfather, um, they had to take him to the hospital again. I need to get to the hospital."

"Do you need a ride?"

"No, um, Jasper, he's going to take me," she tried to pull it together. "Everything was going so good, I was having such a good day, I didn't even have time to think about Grandpa, or call him to see how he was doing," she looked at her friend.

Rosa hugged her. "He knows you love him. And you'll be at the hospital in no time. Jasper's dad taught him to drive."

Ella looked at her.

"Another story for another time. Is there anything I can do?"

Ella shook her head. "Oh, wait! My brother and Ambrose. I have no idea where they went!"

Rosa calmed her. "It's okay. As soon as they get here, we'll get them to the hospital. Just go with Jasper. I'll take care of them."

Ella nodded. "Okay. I should go. Mom sounded really beat up on the phone."

"Go. Call if you need anything."

"Thanks," Ella hugged her friend one more time before rushing back out to grab Jasper so they could leave.


	69. Chapter 69

Jasper cleared his throat and shifted again. He glanced back down the hall, looking for the one face he was desperate to reappear. When his wish didn't come true after the seventh time, he straightened himself in the hard plastic chair and succumbed to the fact that he had to deal with the situation he found himself in, like it or not.

"So, are you a Yankee fan?" he probed the brooding blonde man to his left.

"Aww, geez, man, just get this over with, will you?" Jess groaned. He shot Tristan a look, as if he could see through the younger man seated between them. Across the aisle, their sons stifled a collective laugh.

"That's enough," Tristan warned them.

"Seriously. We take this kid up the roof, give him the talk, and we won't have to discuss baseball or the weather or any of that crap. I hate chit chat. I much prefer direct intimidation," Jess continued.

"Is this about my intentions?" Jasper asked, looking at Ella's father.

Tristan glared at him, making him sorry that he'd not only asked the question, but a little sorry he'd been born. "You have intentions?"

He swallowed hard, looking from the angry blonde, to the equally pissed off man with jet-black hair on his other side. "I just thought that, you wanted … No. I'm good."

"Because if you do," Tristan said in a lower, but none-less-menacing tone, "then those intentions better be good. Great, in fact. Honorable. Hurting her? Not an option. You should really be aware that while I am the person in this world you should fear the most while you're dating my daughter, I am by no means the only person you need to worry about."

"Point taken."

"Good."

Jess sighed happily. "And I thought our having teenage daughters wouldn't be any fun."

"Are you two being evil?" Rory Dugrey's voice boomed over the men. Ella appeared next to her and glared at her father.

"Oh God. Dad, please."

"What? Jasper and I were just having a friendly chat. About the Yankees."

"Oh, the game! Are we going to miss it?" Ella asked Jasper.

"Don't worry about that. We'll go later. I can get tickets any time you want."

She nodded.

"You're taking her to a game?" Tristan asked.

"Yes, Dad, isn't that nice of him?" Ella asked pointedly.

He shrugged. Rory moved to lean over her husband's side. "Any news?"

He shook his head. "Mom hasn't come out yet."

"Grandma called. She wants you to let her know the second she can do anything. She sounded kind of desperate to get out of town," Jake informed his mother.

"The town isn't going easy on them," Jules slumped down next to her brother.

"The next crisis will arise, and it'll fade into the background," Rory assured them. "And Mom's a big girl. She's annoyed enough people in her life, and she's survived so far," she eyed her husband, who was starting to get a glazed over look in his eyes. "Um, Jess, how's Gwen?" she asked purposefully.

He met her gaze. "She's resting at Luke's."

"So, you don't need to get right back to pick her up?"

"No, I'm here for a while."

"Good. Um, honey, why don't we go to the gift shop?" she asked her husband.

"Rory," he sighed, but gave up without a fight. He stood, stretching his tall frame, and took his wife's hand as she led him away from their family. They entered the stairwell and began to climb. Once they exited on the roof Rory pulled out a pack of cigarettes and handed them over, along with a book of matches.

"I bought you something at the gift shop," she said simply.

He tossed them to the ground and pulled her against him. "I love you."

"I know."

"I didn't mean to hide the house from you."

"I know that too."

"I can't have you mad at me right now."

"I'm not."

He didn't say anything at that point; he only buried his face in her hair. She wrapped her arms around him tighter, not caring if it was too tight. Even if she tried to loosen her grasp, he'd protest. She didn't have to ask him what he needed. Not now, not with the house. They knew each other too well. They loved each other too much.

"He's dying."

"I think so."

"Mom's going to need help. After."

"Yeah."

His breathing hitched, and she felt him start to shake a little. She steadied her head against his chest and closed her eyes, letting her own tears fall as well. They stood there on the roof, holding onto one another until his breath evened out again. She loosened her grasp, and they looked into one another's eyes. She wiped away what was left of the moisture from his neck.

"Thanks," he kissed her forehead.

"You're welcome. You ready to go back?"

He nodded, and they walked back to the hallway to wait, hand in hand.

XXXX

Luke eyed the teen seated in the middle of his counter. She'd barely touched her plate of fries, an unusual act for most teens. She picked up another uneaten fry, dipped it in ketchup, and twirled it around. She sighed again, and he could take no more.

"More soda?"

She looked up. "I'm fine."

"Mmm-hmmm," he murmured, not believing her. "Are the fries cold?"

Lia looked up at him. "No. I'm sorry. I thought I was hungry."

Luke cringed. This was clearly a girl issue. He'd been blessed with a son, but before that, he'd lived with Lorelai, he'd watched Rory and Lane grow into women, and he'd had a better view of Sookie's girls go through their hormone surges than he cared for. It had been his position in life to steer as clear as he could from most women when they were subject to swings of insanity. Especially after having to grow up with his sister. He cleared his throat. "You want something else?"

"No," she glanced around the half-empty diner. "Do you need me to clear out?"

"No, no. You're fine."

"Okay. Thanks, Luke."

He paused a moment, wiped down a clean section of counter, then leaned back in. "Do you want to talk about something?"

She looked up, hopeful yet hesitant. "Well," she began.

"Because I can call Lorelai for you."

Lia pondered this for a moment. "Yeah. Well, no. Um," she twirled her straw around, knocking the ice around against the glass. "Yeah, okay. That might be good."

Luke nodded and grabbed the wall phone behind the cash register. He dialed automatically, and proceeded to have a conversation completely based in short hand.

"Hey."

"Luke?"

"I need you here."

"Is it one of the kids?"

"Technically."

"Our kids?"

"No."

"Sookie's?"

"Yep."

"Give me five minutes."

"Bye."

Luke hung up and stepped back in front of Lia. "She'll be here in a minute. You can use the office, if you want."

Lia bit the straw. "Actually, this might be more of a walking around kind of conversation."

"Sure," he nodded, trying to think of anything appropriate to say. Naturally, nothing came to mind. "Is this, um, about boys?"

She cringed. "I think I'll wait for Aunt Lorelai."

He nodded. "That's advisable."

XXXX

Jasper held the door open for Ella. She shuffled into her room and Rosa's head immediately popped up. Her body followed shortly thereafter. She was across the room and taking Ella's bag in a matter of seconds.

"Are you okay? Is she okay?" she redirected to Jasper.

He shook his head. "She will be."

"I'm tired," Ella supplied. "It was a long day."

"I got your text. I sent Pax and Grey out for food—total crap, nothing of sustaining nutrition at all."

"Thanks. I'll eat later. I'm just going to go lie down for a while," she hugged her friend. She turned to face Jasper. "Are you going to come in for a while?"

"Try and stop me," he smiled. "Go on in and lie down. I'll be right there, okay?"

Ella slowly trudged her way into her room and shut the door. Jasper turned to Rosa and looked at her for a moment.

"Are you okay? Was it horrible?" Rosa bounded in on him.

"Stop, Rose, stop. You have to help me."

Her eyes narrowed. "Help you what? You aren't going to bail on her now, are you? I will kill you myself, then I'll let the other boys have you before handing you over to her freakishly protective family!"

"No! I really like her. I did all that secret admirer stuff because I liked her and I was afraid to take things too fast after all the other crap that happened with Pax."

"Pax is over it," she assured him.

"I'm not worried about Pax. I just didn't want this to move too fast and we just started dating now and her grandfather dies, and I'm there for her. She's waiting, in her room, for me to go in there. What do I do?"

Rosa cocked her head. "You told her you were going in, so you go in."

"But what then? What if she… you know, needs comforting," he said in a strange voice.

Rosa frowned. "Then comfort her."

"I'm not talking about hugging her and telling her it's all going to be okay. I can do that. What if she wants more?"

Rosa smacked his arm. "Her grandfather just died."

"Exactly. I'm not good with death. I avoid it. And I've never had to be a boyfriend in a time like this. Just tell me what to do so I don't screw this up."

Rosa shook her head. "It's a wonder any of you boys even got into this school."

"Rose, I'm begging you. One hint. I like her."

She sighed. "Okay, okay. She's hurt and confused and sad. Don't make any crass or sexual jokes. Just go in and make sure she can sleep. Lie down with her, put your arms around her, and forget about progressing your relationship in any way. Do not pressure her to talk or try to help her forget her feelings. Can you do this?"

He nodded and repeated key lines under his breath. "Yes. Yeah, of course. I like her and I can be there for her. I can do this."

"Yes, you can."

"I have to do this."

"No—you want to do this."

"Right. Okay. I'm going in."

"Good luck!" Rosa said in a supportive tone. After he disappeared behind her door, Rosa sat back on the couch and flipped the television back on. "He's toast."

XXXX

"I'm here!" Lorelai came rushing into the diner in high heels and a skirt, clearly from work. "Rory and Tristan moved into the inn for a couple of days, Jess and Gwen are there too, we were already running nearly at capacity, and I'm turning people away left and right, trying to refer them to places that don't make me gag, which is actually difficult to do. You refer one person somewhere kitschy that makes them sing show tunes while eating homemade breads and drinking wine made in their basement, and you will never see those people again. Not that I would blame them," she rushed her explanation out. Luke handed her a cup of to-go coffee and pointed at Lia.

She turned and smiled at Lia. "Hey, Sweetie. You wanna take a walk?"

Lia nodded, and they started for the door. Lorelai shot Luke a questioning look, but he just shrugged and held out his hands.

Once out in the fresh air, Lorelai was thankful to slow down to Lia's lingering pace. The wind whipped around in their hair a bit, and Lorelai took a long sip of coffee in the silence before breaking it.

"So… everything okay?"

"Yeah. I mean, I guess."

"You didn't have a fight with Sookie or Jackson?"

She shook her head. "No. Billy is annoying, but what else is new?"

Lorelai smiled. With four kids in the house, it wasn't unusual for two of them to be arguing. It'd lessened over the years, but only because two had moved out of the house. "Right, right."

"It's just… Anna came to you, when she, um, before she first," she trailed off.

Lorelai's eyes widened. She felt stupid for not realizing before now. Lia was sixteen, after all. Even if her parents thought she was too young, especially since she was the baby of the family, it did make sense for the topic to arise. "Oh. Yes, yes, she did. You've, uh, been, I mean, you're dating someone?"

"Well, sort of," she admitted.

"Honey, that's great! Your mom never mentioned anything," she put an arm around her in brief walking hug.

"She doesn't know. You're not going to tell her, are you?" her voice suddenly turned panicked.

"No, Lia, this is between you and me. Your mom would love to know, but she'd be happy you're talking to an adult, any adult you trust."

Lia nodded. "I'll tell her, eventually, if things work out."

"Okay. So, is there anything you want to ask me?"

Lia looked at her awkwardly. "This is embarrassing."

"Talking to me?"

"No, the whole situation. I've never really been out with anyone before. I mean, I've gone out with a group of people when a person I liked was there, but this is the first one-on-one date," she admitted.

"It had to happen sometime. So, you really like him?"

Lia paused. "Yeah. I really like… her."

Lorelai paused as well and looked at her youngest godchild. "Oh. OH! Oh, right. Well, okay then."

Lia frowned. "You're not freaked out?"

"No. Not really. A little. Actually more taken by surprise than anything else, I guess."

Lia nodded. "My parents are going to freak out."

"No! They'll be… well, yeah. They'll freak out. But it'll be fine."

Lia let out a breath. "Billy knows."

Lorelai laughed. "Hence the arguing?"

She nodded. "He's so crass."

"I'd like to tell you he'll get better with time, but I try never to lie to you kids."

Lia laughed. "Yeah. So, can I still talk to you about all the dating stuff?"

"Oh, Honey, of course you can. I mean, it can't be that different right? It's all about being nervous and unsure and excited. It's all natural. You're going to be fine."

Lia nodded. "It's not like I can ask my friends for advice."

"Most first dates are awkward. Great ones are rare. Just don't try too hard. Where are you going?"

"You know, movies, dinner. Typical."

"No, that's the best. The whole purpose of the movie is so that you don't have to be nervous about talking too little or too much. You just get to sit in the dark next to someone you really like. So not overrated," she smiled.

"Really?" Lia perked up.

"Absolutely. That moment when your elbow is right next to their elbow, and you're wondering if you should go for it and change your hand position by a fraction of an inch so that your fingers are touching, and then they move their hand like they could read your mind? Maybe even better than the first kiss."

Lia smiled. "You make it sound magical."

Lorelai smiled back. "It is. Just, promise me you'll take your time and enjoy all those little things."

Lia smiled back. "Promise."

XXXX

Rory shut the door and took in the scene in front of her. Her husband was hunched over, seated on the bed with his cell phone to his ear. She waited patiently with her arms crossed as she leaned against the door for him to finish his conversation. There had been a stream of calls he had to make and take—arrangements that he was trying to save his mother from having to deal with.

The moment he switched the call off, she walked over, took the phone out of his hand, and placed it on the side table. She put her hands on his shoulders and leaned him back until he was completely sprawled out on the bed. She scrunched down and curled herself on his chest.

"I should still," he began.

"Shh. You could let me make some of those calls. If I have questions, I can ask you."

"You don't have to do that."

"I know. I want to do that. I mean, for you. It's completely wonderful of you to want to spare your mother of this, but," she hesitated.

He frowned. "But what?"

"But don't you think that this is just as stressful for you as it is for her? More even?"

"Rory, it doesn't matter how stressful it is, it's my responsibility. You know things are different in my family than they are in yours."

She leaned up and looked him in the eyes. "I know. I'm your family. Let me help."

He kissed her. "Thanks. I could use some sleep. Is Jake okay?"

Rory nodded. "We set him up with Ambrose and Jules at Mom and Luke's. They took the kids to give Gwen and Jess some alone time. I told Ella she could stay here, but she insisted on going back to school. Apparently Jasper is bringing her back to Hartford tomorrow."

"Jasper, huh?" Tristan groaned.

"She's a big girl, Tristan. It's not her first boyfriend."

"No, but I didn't really anticipate it getting worse as she got older."

Rory smiled. "She assures me that they just started dating. Early stages, not serious yet."

"He doesn't look at her like they just started dating."

"And how does he look at her?"

"Don't make me say it, I beg you. I'm in enough emotional distress."

Rory sighed. "She's not dating him to endanger your health. And if it makes you feel any better, I'm pretty sure that you and Jess got your message across earlier. She will be too old for you two to do that soon."

Tristan raised an eyebrow. "She will never be too old for me to do that."

Rory just shook her head. "Fine. Embarrass your child repeatedly."

"It's how I deal, okay?"

"Yes, dear. Okay, I'm going to take your phone and make a few more calls. Do you have a list?"

He nodded. "It's in my wallet."

She slipped the list out of the wallet and palmed his cell. "Get some rest."

"I'll try."

She kissed his forehead. "I won't be long."

He caught her before she could pull away and kissed her on the lips. "Hurry," he whispered.

"Promise," she whispered back before leaving him to relax.

XXXX

Will dumped his cereal bowl into the sink and shoved the carton of milk back into the fridge. Anna had gone off to work early that morning, and his only obligation was to hang out with his nephew and cousins after lunch. He shuffled into the bathroom and turned on the shower to let it warm up. He shoved a toothbrush into his mouth and absently knocked the bottle of hand soap into the trash can next to the sink. Groaning while he brushed, he bent down to pull the soap out of the small bin. As soon as he lifted the soap up, something unusual caught his eye. He spit out the toothpaste, wrapped some toilet paper around his hand, and picked up the positive pregnancy test from the trash.

"Oh my God," he said to himself, unable to avert his gaze.

XXXX

"Are you sure?" Davey shoved lo mein into his mouth from across the table at Al's Pancake World.

"I'm more than sure. It was right there, clear as day, in my trash, with the word pregnant on it. I didn't pee on the stick, and the process of elimination really isn't that long."

Dave swallowed a mouthful of food and frowned. "So, I take it you guys weren't trying to get pregnant?"

"We just got married—we haven't even told anyone that much yet. Plus, Anna is still in school, and there are other things we wanted to do before we had kids."

"Like what?"

"Travel, buy a house, discuss whether or not we were ready to have kids," Will listed off.

"Well you better get ready, mister," Dave tried to look stern.

"Shut up, Dave, of course if this is happening, I'm on board. But why wouldn't she tell me?"

"Maybe she thought you might freak out. I can't imagine why she'd think that, though," Dave raised an eyebrow.

"I'm not freaking out… I'm processing. Like you'd be any better if Mal suddenly ended up pregnant?"

"That's not even funny, man."

"See?"

Dave shrugged. "So, tell her you found the test and you two can figure it out together."

Will shook his head. "No way. I mean, she didn't tell me right away, so there must be a reason. Maybe I should just make sure she knows that I'm okay with it, then she'll tell me."

Dave blinked. "What?"

"Well, if she didn't tell me because she was afraid I'd freak out, I'll just be really supportive of the idea of having kids until she feels comfortable enough to tell me."

"That sounds crazy enough to work."

Will nodded and pushed his untouched plate of food away from him. "You realize you have to not tell anyone about this."

Dave nodded. "I'll add it to the list."

XXXX

Luke stepped through the living room full of sleeping teens and found Lorelai drinking coffee at the kitchen table.

"It looks like we're running a youth hostel. Why are they still asleep?"

Lorelai looked up from her magazine. "I'm sorry. I realize that you've only been exposed to Rory and Will, who were not exactly normal teenagers. Rory was always up studying by dawn, and Will got your weird early morning riser thing. This is what kids do when their parents don't force them to get up before noon."

Luke sighed and poured a glass of water. "You going to work soon?"

She nodded. "Rory and Tristan are going up to Hartford to check in on his mom around dinner time, and I promised I'd come in early to help her make a few more calls and preparations for the funeral. By the way, it's in two days."

Luke cringed. "Do I have to go?"

Lorelai shot him a look.

"Fine. But I'm not wearing a tie."

Lorelai shot him another look.

"Just put what I have to wear out on the bed that morning, okay?"

She looked back down at her magazine and took another drink.

"So, how did things go with Lia? Did she need to talk about boys and dating?"

Lorelai froze. "Um, yeah, something like that."

"What does that mean? Is she having boy trouble? Did some guy do something to her?" he slid into defensive mode quickly.

Lorelai shook her head. "Relax there, Dirty Harry. Lia is fine. She just had some questions about dating. Nothing was wrong."

Luke relaxed. "Well, good. She seemed out of sorts. I don't speak teenage girl very well."

"And I'm thankful for that," she smiled. "You did the right thing, trust me, you would have not been able to handle this one," she laughed.

"Well, I might not know anything about teenage girls, but I do remember something about being a teenage boy. I could have given her some advice about dating," he defended himself.

"I think this one might have been a little out of your league," she assured him.

"Hey, I was around for Rory's teenage years, and I did offer Will advice several times, and they both turned out good."

"Luke, first of all, Will is a boy, and second of all, you threatened each and every one of Rory's boyfriends within an inch of their lives—even your own nephew."

"Jess needed me to scare sense into him. It's why Liz sent him in the first place."

Lorelai acquiesced. "Okay, so maybe you were qualified in the Jess and Will department, but Lia's case is different."

"Different how?"

Lorelai worried her lip. "I … can't tell you."

Luke frowned. "What do you mean, you can't tell me?"

"I promised her I wouldn't say anything to anyone."

He rolled his eyes. "You already told me she needed dating advice. So she's going out with someone, why is that a secret?"

She shook her head. "Don't make me tell you, I'm already having enough trouble not telling Sookie."

"Wait—you're breaking your Mom Rules?"

"This is… it's different. An exception to the Mom Rules."

Luke shook his head. "You said there were no exceptions to the Mom Rules."

She put her head down in her hands for a moment and groaned. "Oh, stop, Luke, I'm begging you! I want to tell you, I really, really do, just to tell someone else, but I can't, I can't, so stop. Let's talk about something else. So, you're going to go to work and flip some burgers. What's your special going to be?"

"Lorelai, you're starting to scare me. Are you sure Lia is okay? Because if she's in trouble, we need to talk to Sookie and Jackson."

Lorelai shook her head. "No, and shush, you'll wake the kids."

"We could light dynamite in here and they aren't going to twitch. Just tell me what is going on!"

She bit her lip. "You have to swear not to act weird about it."

"I promise not to put the boy into a headlock," he sighed.

"No, I mean, weird toward Lia."

Luke frowned. "I don't understand."

Lorelai looked troubled for a second, peered into the hall to make sure none of the kids had woken up and come in search of food, and looked back at her husband. "Okay. Lia's going on her first date. With a girl."

Luke thought for a moment. "She's double dating?"

Lorelai shook her head. "No."

He shook his head. "I don't get it."

She cleared her throat. "It's just her and another girl. Alone. Together."

"But that means… she's… she's a… oh."

"It's not a big deal."

Luke narrowed his eyes. "So, it's not a secret?"

"No, it is a secret."

"So, it is a big deal."

"It's not something we should make a big deal about. It's her first date, she's nervous enough, and she said she would tell Sookie and Jackson after the date. She wants to get that off her plate, then she's going to deal with the whole telling people thing. Just act normally. Nothing has changed. Just go about like you don't know anything."

Luke sighed. "I'm not the one that blabbed in the first place."

"Blabbed what?"

Lorelai screamed and Luke jumped in his seat. Ambrose jerked back and rubbed his messy hair. "Geez!"

Lorelai clutched a hand to her heart and cocked her head. "Wow. You look eerily like your father when you do that."

Ambrose glared at her. "I'd say I don't have to take this kind of abuse, but I doubt that would stop you."

"If you're hungry, talk to Luke. I have to go."

"Whatever."

"Ah, I really do miss having teenagers in the house," she kissed Luke's cheek and pinched Ambrose's as she headed toward the door and exited. Ambrose looked at Luke.

"You married a weird lady."

Luke sighed. "I know. You want eggs?"

XXXX

Ella slipped out of her room and headed for the coffee pot they had on top of their mini-fridge. She poured a mug and took a sip before opening her eyes all the way. She turned and saw Grey lying on her couch.

"Oh. You're here."

He yawned. "Just between classes. It's closer than heading all the way back to my room."

She nodded. "It's cool. It's not the first time."

He sat up so she could sit down. "So, you okay?"

She took another sip. "Yeah. I will be. It's just weird."

He nodded. "Yeah. Death is… weird."

"Jasper's been great, though. You all have. Thanks for the food."

He shrugged. "Yeah, well. It's what you do, right?"

"It was still… thank you."

He nodded. "So, everything else is good with you?"

She looked up and caught his eye, not to mention his meaning. "Yeah. Things otherwise are good. How about you?"

He nodded. "Yeah. I'm good."

She smiled. "I'm glad."

He smiled back. "Yeah, well. I should probably get to class. I can finish my nap there anyhow."

"Learning by osmosis. Interesting choice."

He stood up and grabbed his bag. "See you, Ella."

She waved and sat back when he shut the door behind him. Jasper emerged, wearing boxers and a tee shirt.

"Everything okay out here?"

She craned back and took in his image. "Yeah. But if you don't get dressed before my parents get here, that might change."

He scoffed and moved to sit next to her on the couch. "Like your dad doesn't hate me anyway."

"Yes, but we're dealing with one death already, let's not make it two," she said as she took him by the hand and dragged him back to her bedroom.


	70. Chapter 70

Will, Jules, Ambrose, and Jake all entered the diner, which was currently operating at standing-room only capacity. If they wanted to eat, they were going to either wait or take matters into their own hands.

"We're going to have to spread out."

"We're related to the owner, we shouldn't have to resort to devious tactics. Shouldn't there be a reserved table for family kept open at all times?" Jules asked her cousin.

"Mom asked Dad that very question once."

"What did he say?" Jake asked.

"He told her to go outside."

"I've never seen outdoor seating here," Jake frowned.

Will smiled. "She was talking to Rory on the phone at the time."

"So, you're saying we need to hover?" Jules sighed.

"It really works better if we spread out," Will restated. "Wait, there's Anna at the counter. I'll get her to join ranks. First one to break a table, yell. Go!"

With hunger as their motivation, each teen peeled off in a different direction, toward tables with lone French fries and never-to-be-eaten pickles left on their plates. Will eased through the crowd until he reached his wife.

"Come here often?" he sidled up beside her.

Anna turned and smiled at Will brightly. "Hey, you. I was just trying to decide what I wanted to eat."

Will instantly took interest. "Well, you should probably get something really nutritious, right? Unless you're not feeling well. How are you feeling? Okay?"

Anna looked at him strangely. "I feel okay, I guess. Are you feeling all right?"

He nodded. "I'm good. Great, in fact."

"Good. I was just deciding between Eggs Benedict or a turkey club. I love the brunch menu."

"Do you really think those are good choices?"

She frowned. "Why? Is your dad out of something?"

"No, not that I know of. Shouldn't you have something healthier, like some oatmeal or soup? Soup is healthy."

She put her hand on his forehead. "Are you sure you're okay? I hate oatmeal."

"But it's so healthy," he reiterated.

"What's with the health kick? You didn't throw out my Corn Pops again, did you?" she narrowed her eyes at him.

"Last time you said you'd sell my kidney on the black market if I did it again."

"Look, Will, it's great for you to want to eat super healthy now and then, but you can't force me to go along with you. It's torture. I need a little sugar in my life. It's like your mother and caffeine."

"You're not having caffeine, are you?" he looked at her, aghast.

"I was thinking about it. I worked the early shift, and I have a test later."

"No! Hey, Dad, Dad, can we get a big glass of water over here? No, milk is probably better, right?"

"Sure," Luke nodded at him and disappeared back into the kitchen. Anna turned and glared at him.

"What is up with you? Milk and soup? I am capable of chewing my food."

"Here you go," Luke slid a glass of milk in front of them. "What else can I get you?"

"You know, I think I'll just have a burger and fries, with a soda," Anna ordered.

"No, she'll have the chef salad," Will corrected.

"I don't like chef salad," she stared at him in bewilderment.

"But it's healthy, right Dad?"

"What is wrong with you two?" Luke demanded.

"Nothing, I just think that it's important for Anna to eat healthy. I love her and I want what's best for her," Will insisted.

Luke looked to Anna. "Burger and fries. To go, please?"

Luke nodded and walked away, leaving Will to sigh. "I guess one burger isn't going to destroy your immune system. I was thinking of stopping by the store on the way home. Are you low on vitamins?"

"Vitamins?" she blinked.

"You are taking vitamins, aren't you?"

"The last vitamin I took was shaped like Barney Rubble."

"I'll get you some, then."

"Will, what is your problem? Have you been taking something?"

"No," he put his arm around her waist. "I just want you to feel good. Is that so wrong?"

"No, Will, it's sweet. Alarming and off-putting, but sweet."

"Hey, Will, we got one!"

He half-turned to see Ambrose pushing Kirk out of a seat. "We've got a table, are you sure you can't stay?"

"No, I need to go over some notes before my class. It's too crazy here. I'll just see you at home later tonight."

"Okay. Then I'll make dinner, and we can have a quiet evening in."

She paused and kissed him lightly on the cheek. "Fine. Just no oatmeal, okay?"

He kissed her back and went to join the rest of his party at the table.

XXXX

Gwen took the remote and flipped the station over Jess' head. She wasn't so concerned with what she was watching, as much as she wondered when he was going to find a good stopping point.

"Do you mind?" he asked.

She looked down at him. "What?"

"I'm reading to the baby."

"I realize that."

"You're watching _Real Housewives of Orange County_."

"So?"

"So, everything I'm doing to increase this child's cognitive growth is being cancelled out by this crap."

"I'm sorry—I just don't like Hemingway. If you're going to subject me to daily readings, I need a distraction."

"Watch PBS or something, at least."

"Jess," she groaned. "It's bad enough that I have to lie down for twenty hours a day, but you can't take all my vices away."

"That woman is fifty years old and is doing unspeakable things to that chair in a mini-skirt."

"She's not fifty. I'm pretty sure."

"You can not tell me that these twisted trophy wives are more interesting than Hemingway."

"You must be used to girls not liking Hemingway by now, Jess," she patted his cheek. "Why don't we compromise?"

He sighed. "I'm listening."

"I'll turn off the television if you promise not to read anymore Hemingway to the baby until after it's born."

"What do you want me to read?"

"I don't know… Dr. Seuss?"

He shot her a look. "Fine. But I draw the line at Dick and Jane."

She smiled. "Deal. So, did you do this with Ambrose and Jules?"

"I tried with Ambrose."

"What about Jules?"

"I had to revert to books on tape with headphones at night while Erin slept."

"Wow. That's pathetic," she laughed at him.

"I wouldn't laugh if I weren't sure the same thing hadn't been done to me," he smirked back.

"If you're doing it while I'm asleep, then why are you subjecting me to it in the waking hours?"

"Because it's my life goal to impart good literature on everyone I love," he kissed her.

"I love you, too," she leaned her head back. "But I am going to go crazy if I can't go back to work soon."

He rubbed her stomach. "I know it's hard on you, staying in bed. That's why I thought coming here for a little while would mix things up. At least there's cable in the bedroom and room service here."

"Yeah, sitting on the couch and having you bring me food is fun and all, but you never leave a mint on my pillow," she joked.

"I'm trying."

"I know. I appreciate it. It's not forever, right?"

"Right. Pretty soon you'll have a newborn, and you'll be wishing for bed rest," he assured her.

"You know, you could learn to sugarcoat some things, just a little," she looked at him with a bit of trepidation.

"It's not really that bad. You get to the point that you're so sleep deprived, you don't have any reserves to remember any of it. By the time you do get sleep, you're just so happy to rest, it doesn't matter."

"Oh, God, that sounds horrible," she cringed.

He shrugged. "Not really. There are good things, too."

"Like what?" she asked, still in need of specifics.

"Like the way the baby curls its whole hand around one of your fingers. The first time they quiet down as soon as they see you. The first smile."

Her face softened. "That sounds pretty good."

"It really isn't bad."

"Thanks."

"It's what I'm here for," he said and reached into his bag off the side of the bed. He pulled up a new book. "Okay, so how do you feel about Faulkner?"

XXXX

Rory wrote something down and thanked the person on the other end of the call. She put the phone down and rested her forehead against the legal pad in front of her.

Lorelai looked at her weary daughter. "So, the funeral home set up the in lieu of flowers donation thing, a messenger is going to pick up the clothes from Elizabeth's maid later this afternoon, and Sookie is currently making enough finger foods to feed Napoleon's armies."

"Good," Rory said without raising her head.

"How are you holding up?"

Rory lifted her head and sighed. "I'm fine. It's sad, losing Tom, but we kind of knew it was coming. He just took a sudden turn for the worse, and then it was over. He wasn't really conscious for them to have any final goodbyes, but he and Tristan had been doing that a little anyhow, just in case. After everything they'd been through, I don't think Tristan wanted to leave anything unsaid, you know?"

Lorelai nodded. "How is Elizabeth?"

"She's a wreck right now. Tristan doesn't want her to have to do anything for a while. That's one of the reasons he wanted to move back up north right away."

Lorelai had to smile. "I know it's a huge point of contention with you two, but I am so happy you're going to be nearby again. It's not Hartford, but it will be nice to be able to stop at Harvey's on Route 19 again. That man makes the cheesiest chili fries I've ever encountered."

"I still can't figure out how you found that place," Rory shook her head.

"I told you, I got lost when I pulled off the highway to get gas. I went left instead of right, and my arteries have never been the same since."

"Luke got you a GPS after that, didn't he?"

She smiled. "How do you think I found Harvey's again?"

"You're hopeless."

"So, are you letting Tristan off the hook?"

"Of course. I mean, he didn't hide a second wife from me. He just didn't part with our house, where my kids grew up. How can I be mad at that?"

"You were."

"It was just stress. Maybe a little bit of paranoia."

"A little?"

"Hey, I have a daughter in college that's dating, a son who has suddenly become a popular basketball player and is buying condoms, a husband that uprooted us to follow his dream career, and too much time on my hands."

"And now a dead father-in-law."

"Yeah. Anyhow, I know things won't get back to normal right away—Tristan wants us to visit Elizabeth a lot for a while and make sure she's doing all right, and we're still not sure what to do about Jake's school situation, but I did send a query email to my old office, and they said that as soon as I was ready to come back, my old job was mine."

"Well, you are the best journalist that's ever worked for them," Lorelai beamed.

"You might be a little biased."

She shrugged. "It's better than being paranoid."

"Says the woman that was convinced Michel was trying to poison her!"

"He kept trying to make me drink carrot juice. What is carrot juice, anyway? You can't squeeze a carrot and obtain juice. It's not like an orange or a coconut."

Rory frowned. "You don't squeeze coconuts."

"You're missing the point."

"There's a point?"

Lorelai smiled. "It's really nice to have you around."

Rory smiled back. "Thanks. Do you want to call the minister, or should I?"

"Hand me the phone. It's been a long time since I've gotten to use my biblical humor."

XXXX

"So, Dad says you got married," Ambrose said after he bit into a fry.

Will looked around for spying ears. "Will you shut up?"

Ambrose frowned. "What? Didn't you?"

"It's not common knowledge yet."

"Is that why you're acting so weird?" Jules asked from across the table.

"I'm not acting weird," Will defended.

Jake snorted. "Yeah, right. You've been on edge all day."

"I have a lot on my mind. I have a lot of grown-up responsibilities now."

"I don't plan on getting any of those," Ambrose said with a level of confidence.

Will rolled his eyes. "So, what, you plan on never going to college or getting a job? Getting married and having kids?"

"You don't have any kids," Jules reminded.

"Well, not yet," Will agreed.

"Not yet?" Jake raised an eyebrow. "Does that mean soon?"

Will frowned. "No. Not soon. I mean, I guess you never really know, but not soon. I didn't say anything about having kids soon."

"Is everything okay over here?" Luke asked as he swung past the table, filling up coffee cups. All four of his younger relatives looked up. Reconsidering, he shook his head. "Never mind. I don't want to know." With that, he walked away, leaving them free to continue not discussing Will's specific issues.

"So, being married is stressing you out?" Jake pushed.

Will glared at his nephew. "What did I say about that?"

"I don't understand why you guys haven't told everyone. It's not like it's a huge surprise or anything. Everyone's been hoping it would happen since forever," Jules said matter-of-factly.

"Yes, but all those people also wanted to throw us a huge party to celebrate."

"You think they won't anyhow? Granted, after you keep it from them all this time, they might spend a little less on your gift, but," Ambrose shrugged.

"Look, I've been asked to baby-sit you three, not be subjected to crossfire about my personal life. So, let's get down to business. Any of you need any advice or situations you don't want to bring to the parents?"

Ambrose gave a chortle. "Please. Like we're going to take life advice from you right now."

"Why not? You guys have always come to me about stuff."

"No offense, man, but we're old enough to deal with our own problems. And you seem kind of messed up right now," Jake informed his uncle.

"I'm not messed up!" Will pounded his fists on the table just as Luke had been approaching. Luke took a sudden turn for the door, just as Lia Melville opened it and came in. Luke froze like a deer in headlights, spun on his heel, and went back into the kitchen. Lia opened her mouth as if she wanted to say something, but no words came out. She instead walked over to the table filled with her contemporaries.

"Hey, guys. What's with Luke?"

"He doesn't want to know what's going on," Jules filled her in.

"What's going on?" Lia asked.

"You don't know?" Ambrose asked, shooting a look at Will, who then sliced his finger across his throat.

Lia looked at Will. "What happened?"

Will ran his hand through his hair. "Oh, geez. Anna is going to kill me."

"Is she okay?"

"She's fine. Forget Ambrose. He's just upset about the fact that I'm going to have to kill him later."

Lia sat down as Jules slid over and offered her half her seat. "Well, can you at least tell me why she's not answering her phone?"

"Well, she was at work, now she's at home studying. I think she's really tired. She has a test later today. What's up?"

She just shook her head. "Nothing. I just can't get a hold of anyone. Davey was babbling about Chinese food and hung up on me before I could get a word in edgewise, Billy is off with his girlfriend, and Mom was yelling over speaker phone about bacon-wrapped asparagus tips."

"Asparagus tips?" Jake asked.

"She's doing finger food for the wake," she met his eyes and gave him a sad smile. "How are you doing?"

Jake shrugged. "I'm okay. Dad's flipping out. Mom and Grandma are making all the arrangements. Ella insists on bringing her new boyfriend, which does provide a nice level of distraction, especially for Dad. It's just weird. Mom and Dad are insisting on moving back to New York right away, but they won't discuss my school situation."

"You're not coming back to school in New York?" Jules frowned.

Jake shrugged. "I'm still enrolled in Raleigh."

"Man, I was hoping you were coming back, especially with Ambrose leaving for early admission!"

Jake shook his head. "Sorry."

Ambrose patted his sister's back. "Don't worry, he's coming back."

Jake protested. "It's open for discussion. Nothing has been decided."

"It's open for discussion until your mom finds out you only want to stay so you can have sex with the cheerleader."

Jules hit Jake in the arm. "You pig!"

"Hey, I haven't done anything yet."

"I feel like I should say something about you all being too young to be having sex," Will said, not to any specific teen.

"Too late," Ambrose assured him.

"Gah!" Will cringed.

"I've never had sex," Jules piped up.

"Me either," Lia joined in.

"I guess we all know I've never had sex," Jake sulked.

"Okay, enough sex talk, whether you're getting any or not. We're definitely crossing into the too much information area here," Will shuddered. "I get why I got stuck with the lot of you today."

"And on that note, can you please just ask Anna to call me when she gets a chance?" Lia stood up and looked at Will.

He nodded. "Yeah, yeah, sure," he shooed her off.

Lia left the table and headed over to the counter. "Hey, Luke, can I get a coffee to go?"

Luke looked up, as if surprised someone was asking him for food or drink. "Oh, you want some coffee?"

She narrowed her eyes. "Are you okay?"

He cleared his throat. "Yeah, yes. Yes, I am fine. Are you okay?"

She paused. "Did Aunt Lorelai talk to you?"

He looked in the air, as if the words he wanted to speak were dangling mid-air. "She often talks to me, I don't catch all of it. Don't tell her that, or she'll probably just increase the volume of babbling," he shifted uncomfortably.

"Ooooo-Kay," she drawled. "So, coffee?"

"Coffee. To go. Right."

He quickly filled her a cup and handed it over. "On the house. Have a nice, um, a good day."

"Right. You too," she shook her head as she left the diner, wondering how she suddenly felt like the normal one in the bunch.

XXXX

Anna opened up the front door to see her older brother. "What do you want?"

"Is that any way to greet your brother?"

"Fine. Hello dear brother. What do you want?"

"Can I come in?"

"I'm studying."

"So?"

"So, I'm busy. And I repeat for what I hope will be the last time, what do you want?"

"Geez, moody much?" he pushed his way past her and perched himself on the couch.

"Do come in," she shut the door and turned to face him.

"I just thought it'd been too long since you and I had a nice chat."

She sat in the chair, with her notes already spread around her. "I'd say never constitutes as a long time. But is now really the best time to start?"

"Anna, I'm hurt. I don't think of you as just a sister."

"Davey, what does that even mean?"

"It means I also think of you as a friend. We grew up together."

"We are brother and sister," she pointed out.

"I know, but you married my best friend. That has to count for something."

"Oh God. You told someone, didn't you?"

"No! I can keep secrets. You can trust me. You can tell me. Anything," he probed.

She sighed with relief. "Good. You scared me."

"I mean it, anything you ever want to tell me, to confide in me, I want you to feel free to do so."

She smiled tightly. "Great. I appreciate that."

He leaned forward. "So. Is there anything you want to tell me now?"

She leaned back and looked at him meaningfully. "Actually, there is."

His face lit up. "Okay. Okay, I'm ready. Tell me."

She reached out and put her hand on his knee. "I have a lot of studying to do and if I fail it because of you, I will hurt you. Please get out."

His face fell. "Anna, that's not what I meant."

"Well, it's all I have to say. Bye, now!"

He stood up. "Fine. I'll remember this," he pointed at her.

"Dave, if you need to play, go find Will. He's not busy today. I'm begging you. I have two hours, and I have to cram all this crap into my head in that precious little time."

Davey leaned down and hugged her tightly and then left without another word.

"And apparently all the boys have gone crazy today," she shook her head and picked up her notes.

XXXX

Ella excused herself to the bathroom, raced down her grandmother's hall, and pulled out her phone the moment she locked the door.

"Please be by your phone," she uttered aloud as her fingers flew over the keys.

Almost instantly, she got a reply from her roommate.

_He what?!?_

Ella retyped the exact same text.

_Jasper agreed to come to my gma's annual fundraiser for the kids' hospital, next summer!_

She waited a moment and got a ping noise back.

_Some1 is sure of himself._

Ella nodded and typed again.

_I like him, but what do I do?_

Yet another ping came back quickly. _Tell him you luv him, lol._

Ella frowned and texted back. _Not funny. At all._

Another ping. _Just ignore. It's probably just politeness._

Ella considered this and texted back her thanks. She gave herself a cursory look in the mirror and headed back out into the living room. She walked over to Jasper, who was refilling his soda at the bar. "Hey," she smiled hesitantly and tucked a piece of hair behind her ear. She glanced over to see her mother and father engrossed in speaking to Jake. Her grandmother was still at the front door, trying to instruct delivery men.

He smiled back. "How are you doing?"

She slid under his arm. "I'm okay. It was really sweet of you to come with me. Mom offered to pick me up a billion times."

He shook his head. "I'm happy to be here for you. In my family, this is what you do. You show up, you bring food. By the way, my mother will probably be sending something for the funeral. Probably massive amounts of sweets."

Ella smiled. "That's nice of her."

"She can't wait to meet you."

Ella paled. "Oh. Um, didn't I actually already meet her? When everyone came to campus and we had that unfortunately horrific and uncomfortable weekend together, remember?"

He rubbed her back. "Yes, but we've moved past that, and my mother wasn't meeting my girlfriend then. She was meeting the girl that I had until recently been snogging."

She glared at him. "Thank you, for that."

"Seriously, my mom isn't that scary. Well, okay, she's plenty scary, but she'll love you."

"How comforting."

"Els, come on. Take it from the guy that has suddenly flung himself into the full brunt of family time with his brand-new girlfriend. To be honest with you, I was a little freaked out. And your dad doesn't like to make it any easier. But, it's not so bad."

She looked up at him. "Really?"

"Yeah. I mean, I really like you. And if you really like someone, then it's worth all the other stuff."

She blinked. "I'll be right back."

Ella rushed back to the bathroom, phone in hand.

XXXX

Will stirred the dinner he'd prepared on the stove as he heard Anna open and close the front door. He put down the spoon and rushed into the front room to take her book bag.

"Here, let me take that."

She smiled and kissed him. "Thanks. Something smells amazing."

"Stir fry."

"Sounds delicious."

"And healthy," he added.

She shook her head and laughed at him. "Whatever you say, honey."

"How was your test?"

She groaned. "It kicked my butt. But I kicked back a little. Hopefully I did better than just barely passing."

"I'm sure you did great."

"And that is why I keep you around," she started to reach for plates and he moved to stand in her way.

"What are you doing?" he demanded.

"Setting the table, why?"

"Just sit down. Relax. I'll do all of this."

She frowned. "But you cooked, so I just thought," she began.

He shook his head. "You worked and had a test. I hung out with my cousins and Dave. You deserve to relax."

She acquiesced. "Okay. Thanks, Will."

He nodded and grabbed plates. "Good. Sit down. Put your feet up. Do you want something to drink? Water, perhaps?"

"Sure," she said slowly. "So, you saw Dave today?"

"I did."

"Was he weird with you, too?"

Will froze. "You saw Dave today?"

Anna leaned back and closed her eyes, happy to sit and do nothing for once that day. "Yeah, he came over here while I was trying to study."

Will popped into the front room. "What did he say?"

She shrugged. "He was rambling about how we were friends and he could keep a secret. He nearly gave me a panic attack, that he'd let out our secret."

Will gulped. "Our secret?"

Anna opened her eyes and stared at him. "That we're married," she said slowly. "Did you forget?"

He let out a breath. "No. I remembered. Sorry. So, that's all?"

"He kept pestering me to tell him a secret, like I had a stockpile of them to hand out. I finally threatened bodily harm if he didn't leave and let me study."

"Weird," Will cleared his throat. "Do you?"

Anna frowned. "Do I what?"

"Have any secrets? I mean, other than our being married."

Anna sat up and folded her hands in her lap. "Why do you ask?"

"Well, we are married. And married people shouldn't have secrets, right?"

She looked down. "Right. You're right."

He moved to sit on the floor in front of her. "You have a secret?"

"I do. And I shouldn't have kept it from you for so long," she fluttered her eyelashes and finally looked down at him.

Will took in a deep breath and prepared himself. He'd been thinking all day as to what his reaction should be, but until she actually said the words, he wasn't sure what he might say or do. "It's okay. Whatever it is, you can tell me. I love you."

She bit her lip. "I don't know quite how to say this."

He grabbed her hand and waited.

"Will, I," she hesitated. "I really don't want to hang out with our families this weekend."

He stared at her blankly for a second, then cocked his head. "What?"

She laughed. "Oh, man, if you could see your face! Did you really think I had some deep, dark secret I'd been hiding from you for years?" she continued to laugh and leaned forward to kiss his forehead before standing up and walking into the kitchen. "Oh, man, I needed that laugh. Okay, let's eat!"

XXXX

Pax dropped his bag at the foot of Rosa's bed and stretched out next to her. She closed the book she'd been reading and gave him a quick kiss.

"You're late."

He chuckled. "Yeah, but you're going to love the reason why."

Rosa propped herself up on her elbow. "Do tell."

"I was consoling one Jasper Wellington."

Rosa's mouth dropped open. "Consoling?"

"Apparently things didn't go so well today with Ella's family."

She shook her head. "Ella texted me and told me that he was coming on a little strong, but after two or three text sessions, she seemed calmer."

Pax looked at his girlfriend. "Wait, what did you tell her?"

"Well, she was freaking out that he was agreeing to plans way far in the future and the fact that Aunt Katherine wanted to meet her. I finally had to explain to her that I'd talked him into sucking it up and doing whatever he thought was best to be supportive of her right now."

He covered his face with his palm. "You didn't!"

"What? In times of stress, you're supposed to suck it up and support your significant other."

"Yeah, well, that was incredibly bad advice. And you accuse us guys of stepping in it."

Rosa balked. "Excuse me? You can't be serious!"

"Rose, they just started dating. And you of all people should know that Jasper takes things over the top, which isn't a good combination with Ella, who is freakishly skittish when it comes to commitment."

She sniffed at the air a bit. "Okay, so it's not the best combination, but he came to me and begged me to help him. What could he have possibly done?"

Pax cringed. "He told her that he loved her."

"No!" Rosa buried her face in her pillow. She peeked out to see Pax's I-told-you-so face looked back at her. "Is he a complete idiot?"

"He said he was just trying to make her feel better, because she got all teary when the family was sitting around, telling stories about her grandfather, and she excused herself out onto the patio. He got a look from her dad, but he followed her anyway to make sure she was okay. He said he was holding her and trying to soothe her, but she just kept crying, and it just popped out."

"Does he really love her?"

"Does it matter? She completely freaked out on him!"

"Well, of course it matters!"

"How could he even know if he loves her? They've been dating for a second."

She smiled at Pax. "You told me on our first date."

He stroked her cheek. "That's different. We've known each other forever. We weren't exactly starting out at square one. Plus, I've always loved you. It wasn't a surprise. And if you'd freaked out, I could have just spun it as a platonic, I've-known-you-forever kind of love thing."

"Good to know you had a back-up plan."

"Always thinking," he tapped his forehead.

"So, what exactly did Ella do?"

"Well, she froze, then she ran."

"She ran?"

"She flew back into the house, mumbled something about not wanting to go back to school, and that it was best if Jasper went ahead back to campus, then disappeared upstairs."

"Ouch."

"Yeah, it gets better. Her dad walked him out to his car."

"Oh sweet Jesus," she cringed. "Was there bodily damage?"

"It sounds like he ended up taking pity on Jasper. He said something about her taking after her mother and said it was nice knowing him, but if he was smart, he could still fix this."

"And he gave no ideas how to go about doing that?"

"You're kidding, right?"

"So, it's up to us?"

"No, no, no, Lucy. We've meddled enough, don't you think?"

Rosa protested. "But she's my best friend. And he's yours. They're crazy about each other. We have to do something."

"Why can't we just let them work it out on their own?"

"Because they're morons when it comes to love."

"And we've got it all figured out?" he raised an eyebrow.

"Well, we are in love," she smiled coyly.

He leaned in and kissed her. "That we are. Fine. But we can't really do anything until tomorrow, right?"

She smiled back and pulled him closer. "And that's why I love you."


	71. Chapter 71

"Stop that!"

Tristan looked up as innocently as possible, which didn't amount to much of a convincing expression. "I'm just sitting here. I'm not doing anything."

"You're smiling!" Rory accused, gaping at her husband, who was sitting in the massive parlor of his mother's home, his drink forgotten by his side as condensation over took the glass. The only two other members of the house that night had long since retreated to their bedrooms, but Rory and Tristan had remained awake, trying to finalize the details of the following day.

"So?"

"So, you're smiling because your daughter is in personal pain!"

Tristan sighed. "You're not going to let me enjoy this at all, are you?"

"Tristan Janlan Dugrey!" his wife scolded, moving from the bar area, where she'd been getting a much needed refill, to his seat. "You have no idea what she's going through. She needs guidance. She needs to know her father is not downstairs, cackling at her expense! Don't you want her to be happy?"

He let out a sigh. "Of course I want my daughter to be happy. But can't she be happier as an old maid?"

Rory made a face at him. "That kid was sweet. Maybe a little overzealous, but honestly, when have you ever seen that as a character flaw?" she arched an eyebrow at him.

"You know what, you're right. In fact, I will talk to her."

Rory eyed him warily. He never volunteered to handle the female issues, be it physical or emotional. He was all over handling Jake's testosterone-driven problems, without question, as if it were just his duty. But in an effort not to entwine himself in a dangerous situation, he always stepped back and let Rory handle any of Ella's major issues. "You're going to talk to her? About a boy?"

He nodded. "That's correct. Why, don't you trust me to steer her in the right direction?"

Rory hesitated. "Of… course. I mean, you're her father. You can't honestly look into her tear-filled blue eyes and lie to her just to obtain your own selfish desires."

"I would never lie to her. I mean, unless it's for her own good; maybe a mis-directional statement or two," he admitted.

Rory's eyes narrowed. "You're going to be nice?"

"I really only have one stipulation."

Rory crossed her arms. "I am not letting you buy a chastity belt for our daughter."

He looked up, as if an idea was forming in his head, then he shook his head and smiled. "No, this has nothing to do with our daughter. This, my dear, is incentive, pure and simple."

Rory attempted not to smile. "Some prodding from my end?"

"I love it when you talk dirty to me," he growled, standing up and wrapping his arms around her. She giggled as her face was buried into his chest. It'd been too long since they'd had proper alone time—they'd been tending to parents and children and worrying about work and moving and life and death. She took a moment and just breathed him in.

"I'm listening," she murmured from his chest.

"I just want you. All evening. You and me."

"We can't… here. Our room is between your mom's and Ella's," she reminded him.

"You know, I did grow up here. I know where sound does and does not travel. For instance, you can't hear anything going on in the hot tub from the house. Even with the windows open. And if we need anything more private than that, the pool house is just a few stepping stones away from the hot tub," he informed her, whispering into her ear.

"Are you sure? It's been a hard week, to say the least, and," she looked up into his eyes, but all she saw there was that most basic, deep need in his eyes, that were pleading with her to just give him what he needed, no questions asked. To tip her over the edge, he gave the only argument she needed to hear.

"I'm burying my father tomorrow. I need you in order to get through this. I need to not think, I just need," he said, pushing his body into hers to let her feel his need. "Please?"

She kissed him hard, up on her tip toes, wrapping her arms around his neck. They backed their way out the back French doors, where he scooped her up and carried her out to the heated tub. They shed their clothes, ready enjoyed the relative seclusion from reality for as long as they could manage to escape.

XXXX

Greyson opened the door to his friend's room and looked around. He stepped over to the window and pulled open the drapes, allowing some light in. It was dusk, but still it was better than the darkness that his friend had been sitting in. He then walked over to the bed and poked at the lump under the covers.

"Dude."

He waited in silence, and then poked again. "Dude, come on. Get up."

Jasper flung the covers off and sat up. "If I get up, I'm going to drink."

Grey shook his head. "Not smart. That's a guarantee she'll call and want to talk."

Jasper looked away. "Not likely. I assume Rosa told you what happened."

"Look, man, I hear it happens to the best of us. It's not the ideal situation, but people have rebounded from doing dumber stuff. Look at Pax," he offered.

"Pax never told a girl he loved her before they had a chance to start dating. I don't even know why I said it! I was doing my best, trying to make her feel better. I mean, she just wouldn't stop crying. And then she just… man, she freaked. I've never seen anyone run that fast."

Grey listened and nodded. He was fairly certain that had he been in the same boat, he wouldn't have blown it this badly, but who could say for sure? Jasper had certainly had a turn of bad luck. No one wanted to have extra pressure put on a new relationship. He'd already gotten through the Pax rivalry, smoothed things over with the secret admirer ploy—even if that had caused unknown tensions for Grey—but now with her grandfather dying, the poor guy was thrust into either being the overly supportive boyfriend that meets the family and helps her through this or he backs off and hopes she doesn't lose interest once she's done dealing with her family. Neither would have been anyone's first choice before going out for dinner and movie as boyfriend and girlfriend.

"No one can blame you for trying. I mean, it sucks. When Ella cries," Grey blew out a breath. He really didn't want to out his almost feelings. He was over it. He was happy for them. That was his official stance, and maybe he'd feel good about it in a few weeks' time.

"It's like torture. All I wanted to do was kiss her, but then, that leads to a whole new set of issues. I mean, you know?"

"Well, there might be something for keeping your mouth shut, no matter how you had to accomplish that," Grey muttered.

"Dude. Come on. I get it. I screwed up. What do I do, go to her the day of her grandfather's funeral and say, 'uh, sorry. Don't love you. Just like you a lot, wanna go get some coffee?'"

Grey shook his head. "Who raised you? Look, you need damage control, but for that, you are absolutely not to speak to her. Do you get me?"

Jasper looked at his friend, confused. "What?"

"You said it yourself. Her grandfather's funeral is tomorrow. Let her deal with that. She's not alone. Her family is as crazy and close as ours are. She doesn't need you. She needs you to let her get through it and not worry about the fact you can't control yourself around emotional females. Which, by the way, is inexcusable seeing who raised you. You should really have this under control."

"Dad handles Mom. I mean, I know when to get out of Dodge, but that's about all I had to worry about."

"And you need to implement that here. Give it time before you really show her the depths of your insanity. At least, if you really care about her. Ease her into it."

Jasper nodded. "How do you know all this stuff?"

Grey shrugged. "I do have a twin sister. And a crazy mother. Not to mention I've spent enough time with Ella to get to know her. I may not do relationships, but I am fairly observant."

"So, just back away and wait til she's back at school?"

"Well, yeah. I mean, passing on the fact you know you're a dumbass to Rosa, who will most likely pass that information on to your fair Ella in the process will probably grease the wheels, but yeah. Give her space."

"I think I'm going to need to go drinking. You in?"

The door opened so hard it bounced when it hit the wall. The boys looked up to see Katherine Wellington catch the rebound as she stepped into the room. Her frown said it all, but that didn't stop her. She flicked on the light and glared at her son. "Over my dead body are you going out and getting trashed. You are coming with me, young man."

XXXX

Anna woke up from her nap on the bed to find Will standing over her, staring. She groaned and rolled over the other way. A moment later, he was sitting on his side of the bed, still staring in a concerned fashion.

"What?" she groaned.

"Are you sure you're feeling okay? I can call the doctor," he offered.

"I told you, I have a headache. Between exams and the rush of wedding planning with Mom, I'm kinda tired."

"It's just… you never nap. You clearly need more rest. Are you hungry? I could make you-," he began, but she cut him off.

"I swear to God, if you say oatmeal, I'm going to hurt you. Are you feeling okay?" she asked, now sitting up next to him.

He shrugged. "I mean, we do have a lot of things going on. But I'm here for you, no matter what," he added solemnly.

"Okay, you're scaring me. What is going on?"

Will leaned forward and hugged her. He kissed her head, and then finally he said, "It's okay, Ann. I know."

She pulled back and searched his face. "You know what?"

"I understand why you felt you had to keep it to yourself, but come on. I'm your husband, your best friend. And frankly, this is as much my doing as yours."

She seemed to think that statement over for a minute, but she still couldn't relate it to anything that made the slightest bit of sense. "You're really going to have to help me out. I'm tired, and that last test really fried my brain."

He tilted his head. "You poor thing," he stroked her cheek and then put his hand on her stomach. "I know about the baby," he said the last word slowly, as if she didn't already know herself.

A look that he'd never seen crossed Anna face. That fact alone scared him. Had she read the test wrong? Had he? It seemed fairly clear cut when he was staring at the item he lifted off the top of the trash.

"What baby?" she asked, clearly panicked. Suddenly, he had no idea what he was sure of.

"I found-," he began, but that didn't seem the right direction to go. "If it wasn't," he said to himself, aloud, still not dragging her along with his rapid internal monologue. "I'm so confused. Did someone break into our apartment to take a pregnancy test?"

"What?" Anna asked. A moment later, she frowned, and pulled his hand off her stomach. "Wait. Is that why you wanted me to eat all that oatmeal?"

XXXX

Rory leaned back, her legs and her husband's toned arms the only things anchoring her in the water. Tristan's head dipped down to kiss her chest, and the contrast of the heat of his lips with the cool of the night air made her shiver, in the best possible way. She curled around him and leaned against his head.

"We should probably move this inside."

His eyes were blazing with passion, ongoing lust and fulfillment encased in sapphire blue. "As you wish," he kissed her again, lifting her easily out of the water, pausing only to grab the towels she'd thrown to the side, draping one over her back, ignoring the single towel left to fall to the ground. He walked the few steps to the pool house, unnoticed in the night, where he draped her damp towel over a couch, and laid her back against it, taking just a moment to take in the form that never failed to take his breath away before climbing over her, warming her all over again with just his body.

XXXX

"Well, I guess at least I can blame your father," Katherine clucked her tongue once at her son in disapproval. "Honestly, only the two of you have these problems with women."

"What are you doing here? Not that it isn't lovely to see you, but aren't you supposed to be in Key West with Aunt Amy?"

"That is a very astute observation," she raised a sculpted eyebrow. "In fact, I should be packing right this very minute for our annual excursion, but when Rosa called me to inform me that you had made the biggest mistake of your life—her words, not necessarily mine—I called your godmother and explained to her my situation. She of course agreed that I needed to come to Yale to offer my services, and agreed to stronghold Logan into taking my place. What she'll do with him for a week in our cabana, I honestly don't want to know, but he'll just have to take my place this once."

Jasper smiled. "Well, Aunt Miel did break up the group outing this year, anyhow. Maybe you can all reschedule."

"Please. We'd already arranged that once Colin broke the news that he had booked a surprise second honeymoon during our week. Our week! It's not like we haven't been going on the same trip for how many years? Honestly, men have no brains for details. Except you. I raised you to pay attention to details. Did you learn nothing from me at all?"

Jasper sighed. "Mum, honestly. I was doing great. Everything was great. But then her grandfather got sick and she was upset, and she looked at me like she didn't want me to leave, like, ever, and she kept needing rides to Hartford, and then he died, and she kept crying," he babbled.

Katherine held up her hands. "Bup-bup-bup. I hear you, I hear you. Okay, I understand that there's something in the Y chromosome that can't handle tears. If you produce them, you think your body is betraying you, and if you witness them, you shut down. But did you have to tell her you loved her? Did you think that would make her tear glands dry up?"

"No! I just wasn't thinking! I was just… talking. I was trying to tell her nice things that I thought would cheer her up. It just got… out of control."

Katherine eyed her son carefully. "So, you didn't mean it?"

He looked up and got caught in her inspective gaze. "What?"

"Do. You. Love. Her?" she said slowly, just in case his hearing was also faulty.

"Come on, Mum. Stop."

"You can't lie to me. You know what happens if you try," she warned.

He shuddered. "Okay, okay. I'm not lying. I honestly… we just started dating. Hell, we haven't even had a real date yet. I just finally got her all to myself, the chance to find out if all this," he shook his head. "I know she was worth all the stuff we've been through to get a chance to find out. I just need a chance."

Katherine wiped away a tear and grabbed her son, enveloping him into a giant, bone-crushing hug. He flailed for a moment before giving in. And then he got panicky.

"Mum? Can't. Breathe!"

She pushed back. "Wimp. Honestly, though, that was beautiful. Tell her that."

He frowned. "Now?"

She smacked him upside his head. "It's like I'm talking to your father. No, not now! When she comes to you. And she will come to you. Just let her grieve her grandfather and when she realizes you aren't truly a crazy, smothering lunatic because you've given her space, she will come to you. And then you beg. And if that doesn't work, I'll step in."

He shook his head. "No. Absolutely no way are you to talk to her on my behalf," he pleaded.

Katherine rolled her eyes. "I was talking about brownies."

Jasper thought for a moment. "Yeah, okay. That probably couldn't hurt."

"You are so lucky to have me," Katherine kissed the top of his head. "Now, can we discuss Rosa and Pax for a minute?"

XXXX

"I'm so sorry. I mean it, I've never been sorrier. I never would have leapt to that assumption, if I hadn't," Will said, propped up on one elbow. It was early the next morning, and he hadn't slept well. It didn't help that Anna had 'accidently' slugged him in the stomach while turning over, one of a thousand times, in the night.

Anna sighed. "No. I mean, I get why you jumped to that conclusion, although I'm foggy on why you went on so long treating me so weirdly and not just asking me. Or why you thought I wouldn't just tell you myself."

He shrugged. "Pregnant women do lots of crazy things. Case in point," he paused for a moment, "Yeah, there are just too many to choose from. Your mom making your dad camp out in the back yard for four months when she was pregnant with Lia because she didn't like the way his breath smelled? Rory making Tristan drive to Maine and back with a cooler to get her a lobster roll fresh off a wharf and then bursting into tears because he hadn't gotten her coleslaw to go with it? She still goes a little crazy when she sees a head of cabbage."

"Agreed. Do you want an apology in advance for anything I might do to you whilst pregnant in the future?"

Will softened and smiled. "No. I will gladly accept whatever you throw my way."

Anna blushed. "Thank you. But I am never eating oatmeal."

He rolled his eyes. "Fine. So, since you're not pregnant, and I'm not pregnant, and we're the only ones that live here," he primed.

"Who is pregnant?" she finished.

He held up his hands. He quickly turned pale, and then slightly confused. "Mom's too old. Right?"

Anna laughed. "Yes, I think it's safe to rule both of our mothers out. What about our sisters?"

"Rory is… too far away and I'm pretty sure they've got their family planning all taken care of. Lia? Really?"

Anna chewed on her lip. "I mean, I would never think she was out there having sex, but she's sixteen, and she did leave me about a billion messages the last couple of days while I was busy with that test, saying she wanted to talk."

Will blinked hard. "And she told me she wanted to talk to you, too, when I had the sex-crazed teens in my charge."

"The what-now? I thought you were entertaining Jules, Jake, and Ambrose?"

Will nodded. "Oh, man, I really don't want to be on the same continent with Jess if Jules is pregnant. She said she hadn't had sex yet!"

"Of course she'd lie! She was with her brother and her cousin, both of whom would pummel her boyfriend rather than be cool about the fact. Boys are so thick."

"Fine, we're stupid, but that doesn't negate the fact that we need to find out who is pregnant, and by whom, and why they felt the need to pee and flee in our apartment!"

Anna giggled. "Pee and flee. Did you just come up with that?"

He shrugged. "Thought about it last night. Right after you punched my bladder."

"Chalk it up to one of the crazy things I did to you while I wasn't pregnant," she kissed him and got out of bed, ready to get to the bottom of things.

XXXX

Rory opened her eyes, focusing as she blinked the sleep from her eyes. The light was soft through the half-drawn blinds, a grey morning. She peeled her cheek off her husband's chest and smiled softly as she watched him sleep. He looked so peaceful. It struck her that she'd been so lucky to have him in her life all these years, and she never wanted to think about the day that he wouldn't be such a passionate, driving force in her life. She felt the tears well up and a lump form in her throat, not an easy one to choke down. Her fingers reached up to brush his cheek, trace his lips. She would be strong for him today.

His eyes eased open, instantly trained on her. He smiled. "Good morning."

She kissed him softly. "I am finally going to admit it. You might be God's gift to women. Last night was amazing."

He shook his head. "All these years, I tried to tell you," he mocked. "It helps that I have a very desirable, not to mention flexible, wife."

She blushed. "Not to drag you out of our little cocoon, but," she turned her head ever so slightly toward the door.

He kissed her forehead. "I know. Will you go in and check on Mom? I need to take care of something else first, and then we can get ready to meet the car."

Rory put her hand on his chest. "Tristan, you don't have to talk to Ella right now. This morning… you have enough on your plate."

Tristan smiled. "I lost my father, Rory. But I didn't stop being one. No matter where we've been, as long as I've been with you, I've felt like I was home. You are the one that gave me my family, and that will always come first to me. My dad, my mom, I know I owe them a lot, and I respect them, but I will do that after I take care of my kid. I needed last night, and it let her have her time to process whatever she's thinking, but this is what I need to do this morning."

Rory wiped another tear from her eyes. "Today is just going to be a gusher," she furiously wiped at her face, trying to erase the evidence. "I'm supposed to be the strong one today, not the mess!"

He held her for a moment. "You've already done more than enough. As long as you're next to me today, I'll be fine."

She nodded and watched as he slipped on a robe and closed the door behind him, off to the main house. She was going to need some strong coffee and maximum strength water-proof mascara.

XXXX

Anna climbed up on a chair and stuck two fingers in her mouth, rendering a whistle that left half the room hearing impaired for a moment. "All right. Some of you have been wondering, rather loudly, why it was so important for you to come here."

"It's so early," yawned Dave, who was beyond irritated that they were in they were in Luke's Diner and were being denied coffee, especially given the early hour. Mallory weakly nodded, looking barely conscious beside him.

"Hush. We don't have a lot of time. Mom and Luke will be prepping for a post-funeral food service here in a little bit, and since Luke closed for that and the funeral, which they have to leave for shortly, I will cut to the chase.

"How did Lorelai get coffee?" Billy asked.

"Duh," she clinked her mug with her fingernail. "I sleep with the owner."

The Danes-Mariano-Melville clan that had assembled in the eatery was weary-eyed and confused. Each one was unsure or nervous as to why the gathering was called, but everyone hopefully assumed that as it was Anna and Will that called them together it was an announcement of their own that had gathered them all together. It was odd timing—a week before their wedding, the day of Tristan's father's funeral, which three of them had to leave for in short order. Jake had stayed on at Luke and Lorelai's house with Jules and Ambrose, and was set to ride to the funeral with them. Gwen rested her head lazily on Jess's shoulder. His arm wrapped securely around her, and promised via a soft whisper in her ear that he would torture Will with hours of babysitting duty with their newborn as punishment for dragging them out of their relaxing bed at the Dragonfly.

"Get a move on, will ya? I have hundreds of crème puffs to assemble!" Sookie demanded. "I mean, please, Sweetie, get to the point?" she reiterated as her husband patted her hand.

"Alright, everyone. I am sorry to have dragged you away from what appears to be much needed beauty rest," she sneered at her brothers, "and I promise I understand that today is a difficult day for some of you to make time for what seems like a strange gathering. I'll keep this moving as fast as possible. And Jake, please let your folks know that we didn't want to intrude on the service, but we're going to light a candle for your grandfather."

Jake smiled. "Thanks, guys."

"Now. Some of you may have noticed Will's insane behavior the last couple of days. He was hounding me and hounding me to eat healthy and rest, and do a multitude of things that I neither had time to do nor desired to do at all. In fact, after some of it I literally was at the point where I was going to defend myself against him and his oatmeal with a steak knife," she began to ramble, but Will cleared his throat and reined her in. She paused. "Do you have it?"

He nodded, and pulled out a Ziploc baggie, containing the used test strip.

"Turns out, he was acting all insane because he found this," she held it up in the air for all to see.

There were several reactions in the room. Davey caught Will's eye, knowingly, or so he thought. Sookie and Lorelai let out squeals of delight, there was some gasping, but overall, the crowd looked much more alert than a mere moment ago.

"I should take this opportunity to point out the fact that I am not, nor have I ever been, pregnant," she said loudly, over the murmuring and other chatter.

Will scanned the crowd, watching reactions. He couldn't really gauge a perp out of the crowd, but Lia did seem still on edge somehow. She definitely didn't look pregnant, but whoever had taken this had clearly just found out.

"We obviously don't know who is newly pregnant, but the only person that would pee on a stick and dump it in our bathroom clearly must be in this room."

"Peeing and fleeing, we're calling it," Will advised the group, to a mild reaction, but not strong enough for his liking. "Whatever. So, Anna had a brilliant idea. It has seemed, for the last while, that a lot of people in our lives, our family, our friends, have been harboring secrets. Secrets that shouldn't be kept, and frankly, need to come out. This test was just the straw that broke the camel's back."

"What are you saying?" Lorelai piped up, not liking where her son was going with this. Her secret had been one that wasn't one she wanted flaunted—not to anyone. It had been painful enough for those closest to her to find out. Though she was instantly wondering what the rest of her closest friends and family were hiding from her. She guessed that if she wanted to know what was going on with everyone else, they felt the same way about her.

"I have a hat. It was grandpa's" Will held out an old men's fedora. Luke smiled and nodded. "Everyone is going to write down their secret. I'm going to pull it out of the hat, and anyone it applies to, raises their hand. We should be done in about twenty minutes, if everyone cooperates and keeps an open mind."

"What if we don't know if we have a secret or not?" Jackson asked.

"Just ask Mom," Anna assured him. "Any other questions?"

"Can we get something in writing, claiming no one will take actions against us?" Jess piped up.

Lorelai narrowed her eyes. "Dead body?"

"Jeez. Never mind."

"All right everyone. Will is passing out paper and pens. I will remind you that no one is to judge. Everyone here loves each other, and wants the best for one another. And some of us are sick of finding out secrets and not being able to juggle what we have to keep from whom."

"Do we really have to do this?" Ambrose asked his dad.

Jess blew out a breath. "If I have to, you have to. What about you?" he directed at Jules.

"I have no secrets. Only a controlling father who is holding me hostage from my boyfriend in Connecticut."

"We're going home in two days! We're in a diner, not Attica," he started.

"I will get a hose," Gwen warned them.

Lia looked at Billy. "What could you possibly have to write down?" she asked.

"You're the only one in our family that can have secrets? At least I know you aren't the one that's pregnant," he shot back.

"How on earth could you possibly know that?" she rolled her eyes. "I could be pregnant."

Jackson leaned between their chairs. "I'm sorry. I thought I heard you say you could be pregnant. Is this what a stroke feels like? Am I sweating? I didn't think I'd be sweating if I were having a stroke. I mean, I know they call it the silent killer, but," he continued.

Lia's eyes widened. "Sorry, Dad. No, I'm definitely not pregnant. I was just referring to the biological sense, I'm physically capable of the process."

Jackson blinked. "Shooting pains," he warned. "Now I'm thinking it's a heart attack," he said, making his wife pull him back against his seat and assure him that his death wasn't impending.

"It's okay, Jackson, that's just your own biological response. It's just stress, masquerading as a heart attack. Lia, tell your father you're sorry for scaring him nearly to death," she instructed with an eerie calm.

"Sorry, Dad," she leaned forward and scribbled her secret onto her paper, tossing it into the hat as it came around as her mother instructed her father to take deep breaths behind them.

Will came up front and Anna held her paper over the hat. "You're sure you're ready to do this?" he asked. "This will kick up all the dirt, right into the fan."

She nodded. "Yeah. I know, but, I mean, nothing will change, right? We'll just all … know."

He gave a tight smile. "Yeah. All right. Let the secrets be revealed," he said digging his hand deep into the hat.


	72. Chapter 72

Tristan knocked at the door and waited. He'd changed into his suit—it was a simple, time-honed process for him that took no time at all. If Rory had been in the room with him, he would have allowed her to tie his tie for him, but it was a skill he'd learned to do himself. It was just always nicer to have his wife, standing just inches from him, take on the task for him. He loved watching the concentration on her face as she weaved the fabric through itself until she was satisfied with the results, and then the triumphant smile that spread over her face as she admired her handiwork. He could already smell the coffee she was making in the main kitchen, something she did in good times but especially bad, and refocused on the his task at hand as his daughter opened the door.

She leaned in the doorway. "Sorry, Daddy, I'm not quite ready yet."

He smiled at the use of the word 'Daddy.' She pulled out the term when she was stressed or upset. She'd dropped the term in favor of plain-old 'Dad' once she was old enough to realize that she was much too old to use it. He tried to act as if he preferred neither of the terms over the other. Even though the girl in front of him was in college, fully grown and had her mother's sophisticated beauty, he would always envision her in pig-tails and Disney princess dresses. She was his princess, and he was her daddy.

"Can I wait with you? You just have the finishing touches, right?"

She shrugged and allowed him entrance to what had been her room at her grandparent's house for as long as she could remember. The Dugrey mansion was in no short supply of rooms, but as the first grandchild, his mother had set her up right next to her own room—something, he'd pointed out, she hadn't even done for him, her own son. Everyone adored this girl. Which, he had to remind himself, was why he was here.

"How are you doing?" he asked.

She paused, holding her hairbrush in her hand. "It's kind of weird. I've never really been to a funeral before. Have you?"

Tristan nodded. "We're just going to celebrate Grandpa's life. It won't be scary," he said, as if he were explaining it to a much younger version of his oldest child.

She rolled her eyes. "I know it's not going to be like a horror movie, but it'll be sad. Aren't you sad?" she asked as tears welled up in her eyes.

He tried to choke back his reaction, but all he could do was nod and walk over to hold his daughter. "Yeah, honey, yeah, I'm sad. I'm going to miss him," he said as he kissed the top of her head.

"I know we got to say goodbye and everything," she cried softly, "but it still doesn't seem fair. He wasn't even that old."

Tristan knew that at her age, she couldn't imagine dying. It was something left for the very old, if there were any fairness at all, or the very tragic in all other cases. He knew better, at his age, as some of his cohorts had died unexpectedly of rare things. Heart attacks at 40. Car crashes at 35. Sometimes cancer at 30. His father dying was sad, not truly tragic, but with their past, he kept telling himself he'd been lucky to have so many good years with him after all that had kept them apart before.

"No. He wasn't old. But he was very sick. And I know it meant a lot to have you and Jake there, to see you one more time. He loved you very much."

She sniffed and nodded, pulling back finally out of her father's arms. "I'm glad we came back. Is it true you're moving back to New York?" she asked, hope in her voice.

"You don't like us being in North Carolina?"

She bit her lip. "I mean, I'm off at college, so it doesn't really affect me, but," she paused and met his eyes. "It is kind of far away. I mean, it's much harder for me to bring all my laundry home and just come back on a random weekend to sit on the couch and totally forget about everything at Yale."

Now he was getting her to it. Maybe this wasn't going to be so hard, he thought. He'd been a little full of himself when he told Rory he'd 'handle' this. He had basically just been hoping for the best. "Well, Lorelai is close. And she has an endless supply of the crap that you and your mother like to ingest in order to 'relax'. Although I'm not sure that going into a sugar coma is the same as relaxing," he frowned.

"Gramma's great, but sometimes I miss being home, in our house. Is that stupid?" she asked.

Now he was in for it. He'd only survived this hurdle with Rory because his father died. He had no means of bypassing this reaction unless it was just pure joy and relief. He had to spin this in the best light possible.

"Actually, Els, I have a surprise for you guys. Your mom just found out by accident, but I never sold the old house."

Ella's eyes widened. "Really?"

Tristan nodded. "I mean, I still have a little sucking up to do with your mom for keeping that fact from her, so it'll probably end up with her getting to hire a decorator to come in and do all the things to it that she never knew she wanted to do to it, but it's still our house."

"When are we moving?"

He shrugged and moved to sit down on her unmade bed. "Not sure. We'll have to wait and see how things are here, and then I have to get things settled with work, but probably in the next month or two. Hopefully by Christmas."

"But I thought you loved your new job," she said, sitting down next to him.

"Yeah, but in the end, it's just a job. I love my family more. Besides, I won't be unemployed. We'll find some way to manage to keep paying your tuition. It might just come out of your inheritance," he joked.

"Funny, Dad."

"I know. All the money goes to Jake anyhow, we expect you to go the old-fashioned route and marry well."

She narrowed her gaze. "Excuse me?"

"Hey, it worked for your mother," he held up his hands in defense. "Els, I'm kidding. You know that any guy that marries you will be marrying up, right?"

She frowned. "I'm not ready to think about getting married. I just got to college."

"You have no idea how happy that makes me to hear you say that," he let out a concerned father's breath. "Look, Ella, I love you more than anything, and I know that the last thing you want is to hear me asking about your love life."

"I feel a 'but' coming," she scrunched her nose at him.

"However," he sidestepped her, "I can tell that from the way things went yesterday that not all is well with you and Jason."

"Jasper, Dad. His name is Jasper. I hate it when you do that."

"Fine. Jasper," he said, as if it pained him to say it correctly. "I'm just concerned as to what went down between you, because I have to tell you—he didn't look ready to run when Jess and I pressed him earlier. We didn't go easy on him, either, and he just took it. So, I'm pretty sure that means he likes you a lot. Did he do something," he paused, hating having to be asking the question.

Ella looked at her dad, panicked. "Do something, like hurt me? No, Dad, he didn't do anything wrong. Well, I mean, he said," she put her hands up over her face. "Please don't make me say what happened."

Tristan could feel his heart beating harder against his chest. "Come on, Els. Are you sure he was the perfect gentleman? Because if he so much as looked at you wrong, I will find him now and make sure he knows," he began, in a hard tone that came out when his family was in need of protection.

"Daddy, no, stop. I was upset, because, well, of Grandpa and everything, and Jasper was just talking to me and letting me cry. He was saying that it was okay, that everything would be fine. Then he told me that he loved me."

Tristan paled. "He… what?"

Ella's hands intertwined in her lap, fingers flexing and releasing. "Yeah."

"And then what happened?" Tristan managed. He was really hoping Rory would take it upon herself to butt in at any time now. This did not feel like his territory after all. This was his daughter, yes, but this stuff was too much. Some things should be kept from the opposite sexed parent. He never thought of himself as old fashioned until he had these moments with his daughter.

"I just… freaked out. I ran. He left. He probably never wants to see me again."

"I so wish that was the case," Tristan muttered, then looked up at his heartbroken daughter. "No, honey, I'm sorry. I'm sure that's not the case. You really haven't heard from him?"

She shook her head. "No. Well, Rosa's texted me a few times, and she mentioned that he's pretty upset; he thinks he screwed up."

"Well, it doesn't seem to be the smartest thing anyone ever did," Tristan agreed, forgetting who he was talking to. "Sorry. Look, Honey, did your mom ever tell you how we met?"

Ella rolled her eyes. "That stupid email," she repeated, having heard the story too many times to count.

Tristan laughed. "Wow. Your mother really must love me. No, that isn't actually the first time we met. We actually met much earlier than that. We went to high school together."

Ella frowned. "Wait. You were high school sweethearts? That's kind of cheesy."

"I didn't say we dated in high school. I said we met in high school."

"You didn't like each other in high school?"

Tristan laughed. "That's not completely accurate. See, I really, really liked your mom. But she wouldn't have anything to do with me. I mean, I wore her down eventually, but by then it was kind of too late. Plus, she had a boyfriend, but that would have been a minor hurdle to overcome eventually."

"I'm lost. Why are you telling me all of this?" she blinked.

"The reason that your mom wouldn't date me in high school was because I was up to no good. I had no idea how to treat a girl, not one I wanted to stick around, so in order to get her attention, I acted like a dumbass. I teased her, I called her Mary, I used every sexual innuendo in the book at her; I pulled the stupidest pranks, and ended up getting my ass sent to military school."

"In North Carolina," she nodded. "The military academy. I always wondered why you decided to go down there."

"Hah. Yeah, not so much my decision as my Dad's ruling. As much as I hated it then, it was probably the thing I'm most thankful for that he ever did for me. Because after I got some discipline and a second chance to see your mom again, because of the email, I got what I wanted."

"Okay. So, you're saying I need structure in my life? I don't really want to join the military," she led.

"What I'm trying to say is that boys have a lot of weird ways of showing they care. And, sadly, because you are my daughter, you running away from Jasper because he freaked you out, I know that doesn't mean that you don't really like him. As much as I hate to admit it, he did a pretty hard thing to do. I mean, coming into all this at a time like this, just because he wanted you to have a shoulder to cry on. Maybe you should make sure he knows you still want to have your second chance with him."

Ella paled. "Wait. Did Mom tell you that we, I mean, about before?"

"I'm looking for a memory-erasure device, but so far it's looking like I might have to live with that tidbit. I know you're going to date, Ella. I just hope that you'll be responsible as well as happy, no matter who it is."

"Thanks, Dad."

"Any time. Now, I'll leave you to finish getting ready. The car will be here in about twenty minutes. Mom will have coffee done in a second. I'll see you downstairs?"

Ella nodded. "I might just send a quick text. What are you doing?"

Tristan stood up and pulled his tie out so it hung loose around his neck. He smiled. "Just didn't like how the knot fit. Your mother does it so much better," he said as he kissed the top of his daughter's brown hair and shut the door behind him, leaving her to finish getting ready to leave.

XXXX

"Wait! Don't do it!" Anna yelled, holding Will's hand as it touched the little slips of folded papers that had been thrown into his grandfather's hat.

The room was silent, everyone waiting for their own personal secrets to potentially be read aloud to the whole room.

Will leaned in toward his new bride. "Someone peed on a stick and hid it in our bathroom. This has to stop," he said in a low tone that only she could hear.

She took a deep breath, looked at her mother, and gulped some air. "Okay. Yeah. Go ahead."

Will nodded and rubbed her shoulder with one hand before delving it back into the hat. "Here we go. Remember, if I read your secret, you have to stand up and acknowledge what you wrote. There will be a brief period for respectful questions, then we move on."

"We get it! Come on, rip the Band-Aid off already," Jess called out.

Will nodded and unfolded the first paper. "'I got my driver's license.'"

He looked up and everyone else was looking to the left and right, wondering why anyone would have thought that was a secret. Until Jules stood up, muttering under her breath about how it had to be her to go first. Will watched Jess turn several shades darker.

"Respectful questions only!" Will called out.

"How many laws did you break?" Jess asked his daughter, while rubbing his temples.

"None!"

"None? Jules, I'm sure you're aware of the fact that you need a parental signature to get a permit, which you need in order to get a license," he said through gritted teeth. "And forgery is a crime."

"I didn't forge your signature. Someone else signed for me."

"I'm sorry, is that another secret?" he asked, clearly not amused.

"Mom. She took me for lessons and signed my paperwork. I told her that you were okay with it because you were too busy with the new baby stuff and work."

Gwen gasped, Ambrose looked stunned in a way that showed he was a little strangely proud of his sister's cajones and wondering just how big a hole Jess was going to blow through the roof.

But all Jess was doing was apparently silently growing more upset, unable to look directly at his daughter or speak in a 'respectful' tone.

Will cleared his throat. "Uh, should I move on or are there more questions?"

Ambrose stood up. "Yeah, I have a question. I mean, clearly, you've lost your mind, but why do you even need a license? We live in New York, and it's got the best public transit in the world."

"Dad?" Jules asked, ignoring her brother.

"What, so we can ask questions, but they don't have to be answered? That doesn't seem very respectful," Ambrose quipped.

"Not now," Jess snapped at his son. He turned to look at Jules. "We will take care of this later. With your mother," he added, the last word nearly choking out of him. Gwen took his hand and squeezed it, and he held her hand, not willing to risk hurting her by squeezing too hard given his current state.

"Okay. See, I thought that one would be all nice and not quite so rage-inducing. Shows what I know," Will said under his breath as he pulled for the next slip. He frowned. "This one just says, 'I plead the fifth.'"

Dave stood up. "Yeah. That's mine. I don't have any secrets, but I thought I did. But at this point, I figure maybe I do know secrets, except I don't know that they should be kept secret. So, I plead the fifth, and I'm saying I don't want to say anything."

"Too late!" Lorelai cried out.

"Seriously," Anna frowned. "It wasn't forced participation."

"Excuse me, but this seems pretty forced to me," Billy argued.

"Some people are just here to be witnesses. Only secret-keepers had to reveal secrets," Anna explained.

"Fine. Whatever. So, Dave your secret is that you have no secret that you know of?"

He rolled his eyes. "Until recently, I thought I knew that Will thought you were pregnant. And, well, the other thing."

"What other thing?" Sookie asked, instinctually.

"It's in the hat, Mom," Anna assured her.

"You have a secret?" Sookie asked. "Sweetie, you know you can always come to me!"

"I know, Mom."

"Then why didn't you?" Sookie asked, clearly upset.

"Sook, let them get through it. If we keep up like this, we'll be here all day," Lorelai assured her, knowing that at least one more of her kids had yet another thing to reveal to the group as well. She felt lucky that she only had one kid in the group to drop a bomb on her, and frankly, that's all she could take, after finding out about her not legalized marriage. She took Luke's hand, ready for Will to continue.

"Moving on, then," Will said, fishing out another slip. "'I have a date with a girl on Saturday.'"

This seemed like a rather innocuous statement, unless it was scribbled by a married (or, as it turned out, surprisingly unmarried) person. He never would have guessed, however, that it was Lia who would have stood up.

"Way to go, Lia," Jules said.

"Wait. You mean, like, a study date?" Jackson asked, as Sookie just stared forward, being oddly still.

"No. We're going to a movie. At Wilkin's Drive-In in Woodbridge."

"Which is where it comes in handy to have a driver's license," Jules pointed out.

"Is the date with you?" Jess snapped.

"No," she retorted.

"Then butt out."

"You were in love with Scotty Henderson in kindergarten," Sookie finally said. "You were at his house all the time, playing Elmo with him."

"Mom, I just really liked Elmo. I was five."

"So, this means," she said, her eyes half open, like she was thinking about something very far off in the distance.

"I like girls. I'm a lesbian."

"Yeah. I'm going to at the very least go have an EKG done before today is over," Jackson turned to Sookie.

"You're mad," Lia said, looking down.

"No, Sweetie, no. We're not mad! We're not. We're just surprised," Sookie assured her youngest child. "You surprised us. We thought you liked one thing, but it turns out, you don't. And that's okay. It's like when you told your dad you didn't like watermelon, and he'd spent all that summer harvesting that crop he was so proud of. It didn't mean he was mad at you, it just meant you would rather eat strawberries."

"Okay. I should have known that somehow my sexuality would be likened to fruit preference in this family," she shook her head. "And you had to sneak to Dooses's to buy my strawberries, and brought them into my room after Dad was asleep to let me eat them."

"I have another question," Ambrose stuck his hand up, and then turned to Lia. "Have you two kissed?"

"Over ruled!" Will shouted. "Next secret!"

"What was wrong with that question?" Ambrose asked.

"Knock it off," Jess and Luke grumbled at the slightly surly teen, to which he crossed his arms and sat back in a huff.

"Next up," Will continued, "'I'm not going to NYU.'"

"Are you kidding me?" Jess said even before Ambrose could stand up.

"Technically I'm just delaying acceptance for a year."

"Like hell. You're not taking a year off to travel at seventeen, if that's what you're thinking," Jess assured him. "I did that, and it wasn't all it might seem cracked up to be."

"Actually, I was thinking I'd just stay home and work, build up some reserves. I know you aren't going to be rolling in money, and it'd be easier than trying to work and go to school at the same time."

"You don't need to worry about your tuition," Jess sighed.

"I'm not worried. I just think it'd be better to wait. I can't exactly go back to high school with my GED," he said.

"Yeah, high school tends to not readmit those who already hold a degree," Jess agreed, sarcastically. "What changed your mind?"

Ambrose looked around the room. "I'd sort of rather discuss that later."

"Ten bucks it was a girl," Jules said aloud.

"Betting and wagering of any kind are not respectful!" Will barked.

"Sweetie, you're fighting a losing battle. Sarcasm is the main coping mechanism for the greater part of this crowd. Heckling is how we deal," Lorelai called out. "Just ignore them and move on."

Will followed his mother's suggestion. "'I want to open a cupcakery.'"

"Not a word!" shouted several members of the audience.

"I didn't write it," Will reminded them. "I'm just the orator."

"Thank goodness. Those would be some sad-looking cupcakes," his mother laughed.

"Hey, I made some for the bake sale to support getting Kirk out of the tree after he raised money for the sick bird by being a human catapult."

"Will, those were from a box. And I don't think watching me stir constitutes as making them yourself," Anna put her hand on his arm, supportively, despite the fact she was proving him wrong.

"Face it, Will. You can make a mean omelet, thanks to your father's years of making you practice, but if you can't sling it at a diner or grill it, you're out of options," Lorelai said.

"Probably because his mother used her oven as shoe storage until I moved it and built you a closet for them," Luke pointed out.

"Hey, why else would there be a little rack in there so perfect for all my high heels?" she said.

"If I have to explain the little rack in the oven to you one more time," Luke shook his head.

"Can we please stop talking about shoes? Who wrote this?" Anna held up the unfolded paper.

"I did!" Billy stood up.

Lia and Anna burst out laughing. Sookie and Jackson exchanged glances. "Hush, girls!" Sookie flashed her most serious mom-glare at her girls and turned to her son. "Billy, you're in school, and I thought the plan was that after school you'd start working with your dad at the greenhouse."

"Mom, Dad," he began. "I don't love vegetables. I want to bake. I've been perfecting some recipes at Jane's, and we have a perfect location, so I figured if you lent me the money you would have spent on school, I could get it started up, with the capital Jane is bringing to the table."

"Wait—you want to open a bakery that only serves cupcakes, with your girlfriend?" Jackson asked.

"Her mom and dad bought the building. One half would be my cupcakes and the other half would be her pies."

"Wait, Paris spawned a child that bakes edible pies?" Lorelai asked, incredulous.

Billy frowned. "Paris says that people are such sheep that they'll buy whatever they're told to buy, and that since cupcakes and pies cycle in and out of popularity all the time, we can't go wrong selling both. And if we do go down, she says she can always lease the space quickly to someone who has a passion for commemorative plates."

"Whoa, whoa, whoa. Do you mean to tell me that Paris bought a building…," Luke stood up, close to bursting a vein in his forehead already.

"In Stars Hollow," Billy nodded. "What, is that bad?"

"I need to sit down," Luke said, barely making the chair as he fell into it.

"Ohmygod," Lorelai shook her head. "Do I laugh or cry?" she asked Sookie.

"Do I move on? This feels like a really slow train wreck," he asked Anna. "I can't look away."

"Oh, trust me. This is not over, and it won't be. Dad hasn't even processed this information yet. It'll take a good week and a half for him to even understand what was just said. Just move on," she assured him.

"Right. On to our next unwilling victim," he smiled for the crowd, who was looking fazed, slightly unhinged, and otherwise bewildered at this point.

"'I'm not married,'" he read, looking directly up at his mom. Lorelai stood, grabbing Luke's hand, who was still muttering about property values and the common sense that God gave rocks.

"As a few of you know, even though many, many years ago, Luke and I had a ceremony to tie the knot, someone," she said with gritted teeth.

"Kirk," Luke grunted.

"Fine, yes, Kirk, lost our paperwork in the shuffle and it was never filed, and therefore expired. So, legally, Luke and I are not married."

Everyone looked around. "What, no questions?" she asked.

"We're all so sorry, Honey," Sookie asked. "But you're going to get married this weekend, so it'll all be fine."

"About that," she looked down at Luke. "I've been thinking, about how we're telling everyone that this is just a vow renewal. In a lot of ways, a stupid piece of paper doesn't mean anything—it doesn't make me any less your wife. We kept this a secret and did all this talking about covering it up, but you know what? I don't care anymore. I'm happy to have been with you all this time. We'll make it official for the state, because we're correcting that error, but whether or not the state of Connecticut knew it all this time or not, I've been your wife since I stood there in front of you and all our friends and spoke my vows to you."

Luke stood up and kissed her. There were some noises of appreciation, but mostly just gagging from the teens.

"Trust me, this is nothing," Will said in a droll tone. "I've walked in on much worse. Therapy couldn't begin to cure the scars I have," he shuddered.

"Hey, your parents love each other very much. Or else we wouldn't have you," Lorelai said in a cutesy, creepy manner.

"Moving on. Hey, who would have guessed your secret wasn't the most shocking huh?" he smiled at his folks.

"It's hard to compete with this lot. We're going to have to up the ante," she looked at Luke.

"We've had enough drama for one year," he shook his head. "Let's get a move on, we need to leave in a few minutes," he instructed his son.

"Alright," he said, reaching back in. "'I don't want to transfer back to New York for senior year.'"

Jake stood. "That can't really be anyone else, huh?"

"Why not?" Jules asked.

"Because I like my school. I'm not only on the team, I'm one of their best players. I'm getting noticed. In New York, I was just a benchwarmer, no one noticed me, other than to call me Ella's little brother," he shrugged. "You know that."

"It's totally different this semester," she assured him. "You wouldn't believe all the stuff that's changed. Mike McKenzie got high in his cousin's basement over the summer, and not only is not on the team, but he's completely joined the stoners, and the social hierarchy completely shifted. Court says that last year no way would have thought he would be playing, but he's in almost every game. He says Coach talks all the time about how they lost you at the wrong time."

Jake looked up. "Really?"

She nodded. "I mean, I don't think your folks will let you stay down there alone anyhow, but I think if you give a chance, it won't be so bad. Plus after school we can totally go to wherever Ambrose is working and bug him."

Jake smiled at his best friend. "That does sweeten the pot."

"Hah. Pot. Nice," Ambrose connected the two dots.

"Hey, Will, since technically, the three of us have outed ourselves," Lorelai said, then looked at Lia and cringed. "Sorry. Poor choice of words. But we really need to head out if we're going to get to the service on time. We'll see you all here, later?"

Sookie stood to hug Lorelai goodbye, and the teens said their goodbyes, as Luke made sure Will would stay and make sure the diner was secure until he returned. As everyone else settled back down, Will pulled yet another secret out.

"'We're married. And almost sure we're having a boy.'"

Jess stood up, and smiled at Gwen. Jules stood up and hugged her dad. "When did you find out?"

"Apparently science has allowed women the option of not only peeing on a stick, but peeing into some chemicals to tell at an earlier date as to the sex of their baby."

"Is it accurate?" Sookie asked.

"Somewhat. We won't know for sure for a few more weeks," Gwen answered. "We'll be happy either way, but," she couldn't stop smiling.

"Wait. You're married?" Jackson asked. "Weren't you already married?"

"Uh," Jess turned to Jackson, who he hadn't been expecting to comment on that particular fact. "I mean, we were planning on it. At least, I was planning on it," he smiled at Gwen.

"Me too," she admitted.

"Please don't kiss. It's embarrassing," Ambrose cringed.

"I certainly hope you don't plan on working with live people," Jess shook his head.

"Okay, okay," Will cut in. "Family squabbles get to resume on your own time. 'We're married.'"

Anna and Will took a look at each other and squeezed hands. He reached down and pulled his wedding ring out of his pocket to slide it on, and Anna did the same. "I'm not sure if it's good or bad that Mom and Dad left a little early," he said.

Sookie looked up. "Wait. What? You two? Got MARRIED?"

"Mom, calm down," Anna instructed.

"Calm down? Did you really just tell me, your mother, to calm down? I've been bringing wedding cakes and crudités and aperitifs to your apartment, agonizing over creams and sauces and fillings, all because I wanted my oldest daughter to have the perfect day, down to every last detail on the most special day of her life, and now you're telling me that it already happened, and you want me to CALM DOWN?"

"Mom, it's not like they did it to hurt you, they just couldn't wait. It's kind of romantic, if you think about it in a-," Dave began, but then his mother turned to him, finger pointed, and cut him off.

"You knew?"

Dave looked at his sister, then his wife, in panic. "I didn't say that. Did I say that? I said nothing that confirms or denies my guilt as to what I did or did not know prior to these events. In fact, I already said I pleaded the fifth."

"You said 'that other thing,' earlier. This is that other thing," Sookie pushed.

"That's pure speculation," Dave attempted.

"Jackson, you heard him earlier. Tell him I'm right," she looked down at her husband for support.

"I don't think any father should have to learn this much information about his kids in one day. It's some sort of abuse. It wouldn't be spousal abuse. Is there paternal abuse? Is that a real syndrome? Do they have some sort of support group I could join?"

Lia reached out and put her hand on her dad's knee. "Sorry, Dad. It'll be okay. We're all happy, at least, right?"

"It's like Mom always says, 'at least no one's head is on fire,'" Will agreed.

"Don't you start with me too!" Sookie turned around to Will. "I was so excited, not only because it was Anna getting married, but because it was you that she was marrying. I've known you since before you were born—I fed your mother through all her weird cravings and intolerances. I made so many key lime banana splits with a sprinkle of Tabasco that I nearly put it on the menu that summer at the restaurant."

Will looked distressed. "I'm sorry. It's not that we didn't want to celebrate with everyone. Obviously, we wanted to, which is why we wanted to let you guys go crazy with a big party."

"Well, we'll see if that happens now," Sookie shrugged.

Will and Anna exchanged a worried glance. "Mom, what does that mean? You don't want to be a part of it now?"

Sookie rolled her eyes. "I've committed too much time to the food to back out now. But you still have to tell Luke and Lorelai, who will be the very last to know that you guys got married. If you live 'til Saturday, then we'll have an extra reason to celebrate."

Will gulped. He hadn't anticipated his parents leaving before his secret got out. "It's going to be like _The Godfather_," he looked at his wife. "We have to suck up to Michael Corleone."

"Okay, you're married, we get it. Can't we move on now? We have to be nearly done," Billy said from the back.

"What, you have to get back to those cupcakes? I guess those babies don't frost themselves, huh?" Lia chided.

"Hey, I just figured your girlfriend was getting lonely."

"She's not my girlfriend. Yet," Lia hedged.

"Okay, as much as I am not done discussing the fact that my children are hiding their entire lives from me, Jackson is one secret away from rocking in the corner and eating his hair. Or he will be when it all sinks in. Let's move on," Sookie said, glancing worriedly at her husband.

Will looked down. "Just two more. Here we go," he reached down and pulled one of the final two pieces of paper out. "'I'm pregnant.'"

Dave stood up. A few mouths fell open. Jackson stood up and made for the door. "I need some air."

"Sit down," Sookie shook her head. "Both of you. Who's pregnant?" she looked around at the females in the crowd.

"I'm not sitting down. It's my secret, too. Mal's pregnant. She found out first, and when I came home and told her that Will found the test and was sure Anna was pregnant, Mal fessed up that it had been her that took that test."

"Wait. So you knew that Anna wasn't pregnant, but you let me go on thinking she was?" Will asked.

"It was too many secrets!" Dave shouted. "Geez, people, I have enough on my plate, now! I just got married, I have a kid on the way; you need to sort out your own problems on your own!"

"It's still really early. I just haven't been feeling well lately, and I didn't want word to get out before I was sure, so I took the test at Anna's, and," Mal bit her lip. "It wasn't supposed to be a secret. It just got a little confused when Will found the test. Sorry, guys," she looked to her sister- and brother-in-law.

Anna smiled. "No, it's great. We're happy to be an aunt and uncle."

"Well, you are married," Sookie said, and then burst into tears. "You're married!"

"Mom, it's okay!" Anna stepped down to hug her mom.

"Should I do the last secret?" Will asked.

"No!" Sookie cried out. "I mean, no. It's mine. I'll say it. All my kids were hiding all these things from us, but I can't judge you. Any of you. I'm no better. I am the worst mother in the world. I…," she took a deep sigh, "I'm not making your wedding cake."

Anna frowned. "What?"

"Your cake! It was all just too much! I had to do the entire menu and decide on a cake that was the perfect symbol of the union of not only my oldest daughter and my best friend's only son, but also of my best friend and her husband's vow renewal all at once! It was too much pressure. I couldn't do it. I was up all night, every night, doing sketches and trying flavor combinations. Your father finally told me that for health reasons, I had to choose either doing the cake or the rest of the menu. And I was not about to trust anyone else to feed the entire town, let alone trust anyone else to get all the complimentary flavors down to each dish, course, and wine. It's an art. And I know someone, from culinary school, that was neck in neck with me in the pastry class, and he's gone on to be quite successful, and I know he'd never do anything to piss me off. So I handed the cake over to him."

Anna blinked. "Wow. I never expected that. You love making cakes."

"Honey, I know. And I wanted to do it, but I also wanted for your big day to be perfect, and having your mother go through a complete nervous breakdown wasn't going to contribute to that. Of course, now that you're already married, I could always call Duff and tell him I don't need him. Maybe Billy could make cupcakes. Apparently that's trendy," she said the last word as if it tasted bad. Weddings, in her opinion, the food at least, should not be trendy. Especially if it was going to be the most photographed part of the meal.

"Hey, back up. Did you say Duff?" Will asked.

Sookie scrunched her nose. "Did I? I mean, maybe I did. I can't remember. Honey?" she looked at Jackson.

"Wait, all these years, all those stories you told us about that insane guy from school, your biggest rival that built a replica of the Wall of China all the way down the corridor of your school out of cake, that was Duff Goldman?"

She shrugged. "We actually called him Goldy to piss him off."

Anna's jaw dropped. Will tossed the hat onto the counter and said, "Well. I guess that will do it for the secret-telling portion of the day. Anyone one have anything else they'd like to share?"

"I really, really need to lie down," Jackson said.

"Dismissed," Will patted his father-in-law on the back and went to start the coffee.

XXXX

Rosa grabbed her phone, read the incoming message, and then smiled. "Finally."

Pax leaned up to read the screen. "Told you. Jasper has the best luck with women."

Rosa looked down at him. "Better than you?" she asked as she texted back.

He shrugged. "I don't know. I'm feeling pretty lucky."

"Oh, do ya? Punk?" she asked, leaning down to kiss him after discarding her phone on her side table. He wrapped his arms around her, bringing her back into his body. They'd spent the better part of the evening this way, since sharing dinner with her brother, who seemed to be in an odd funk, but no one spoke much, and they'd retreated to her room as soon as possible.

A knock came at the main door, and Rosa groaned. "It's probably just Grey. I swear, with those boys around, you're never going to get lucky," she whimpered.

Pax stood. "I'll get rid of him."

She rolled her eyes. "It's my room. And my brother. I will handle this," she assured him, but kissed him lightly. "Though I do enjoy the whole 'taking care of my woman' instinct."

He smiled and yanked his shirt back on over his head. There was no need to broadcast their activities, even if he had a strong feeling that their friends suspected what they were up to.

Rosa slipped out to the main room and opened the door. Standing on her doorstep was Amy Huntzberger and her own mother, Miel McCrae. "Hi. Um, what are you two doing here? Aren't you both supposed to be on vacation right now?"

Amy and Miel shared a look. "This is sort of a pit stop on the way to the airport."

"Where are Dad and Uncle Logan?"

"It's Folk Night," Amy sighed. "I assume Pax is here?"

Rosa bit her lip. "Uh, why would you assume that?"

"Give it up, Rosa. We know what's going on. Pax? Come out here, please!" Miel called out.

A moment passed before Pax eased his way into the door frame. "Found it!"

Rosa put her hands over her face as he stood there, holding his day planner, as if trying to cover for his actions.

"Why would your day planner be in Rosa's room?" Amy asked.

"Hey, Mom, what a great surprise. Where's Dad?"

"Rich Man's Shoe, Folk Night," Rosa commented.

"Aw, man. I can't believe I forgot," he shook his head.

"What is it with men and bad music?" Amy asked Miel.

"Your guess is as good as mine."

"You two should sit down," Amy looked at their offspring. "Now!" she said as they continued to just stand there.

Pax and Rosa shared a look, then moved to sit on the couch. Miel and Amy sat on chairs on either side of them.

"Who ratted?" Rosa asked. "Grey?"

"Actually Katherine pulled it out of Jasper," Amy admitted. "But that is not the point."

"What is the point?" Pax asked.

"The point," Miel said, "is that the two of you were hiding this. Granted, you were doing a pretty bad job of it, but still."

"Sorry, Mom. It just seemed easier," Rosa sighed.

Amy frowned. "Is it really that difficult? Don't you like each other?"

"Mom, come on. We knew the minute we told everyone, we'd have the cavalry over here, making a big deal about it. Just like you're doing now," he pointed out.

"We're just here to clear the air. We're not going to interfere!" Amy feigned shock.

"Really? You guys are all going to stay out of our business about this? One hundred percent?" he pressed.

Amy and Miel shared a look. "Side conference?"

Rosa and Pax sighed. "Go on. We'll wait."

Amy and Miel stood up and moved to the window, chatting and murmuring, slight nods and sighing all punctuating their conversation, which was otherwise inaudible to their kids. After a few more moments, they headed back over and sat down.

"We won't interfere," Amy began. "On a few conditions."

"Here we go," Pax rolled his eyes. "Let's hear it."

"Condition one, you are not to break up and stop speaking to one another. If there is a break up, it must be cordial and thus keeping our families in good standing with one another," Miel began.

Rosa and Pax looked at one another and smiled. "We can do that."

"It sounds easy now," Amy warned, "but this requires respect and tact. Keep that in mind. Condition two, you may not, under any circumstances, elope at any point in time. That is grounds for death."

Miel cleared her throat. "Fine, not death," Amy amended. "But we will make things very difficult for you. You might wish for death."

"We're not getting married, Mom," Pax said. "We just started dating."

"Again. It sounds easy now. You're all young and stupid and in the early stages of infatuation. You've got all kinds of filters going on. It's to be expected, but that's why we're doing this."

"Fine. We won't elope," Rosa promised. "Anything else?"

Amy and Miel glanced at one another. "Well. There is one more thing."

"What is it?" Pax asked.

"We would truly appreciate," Miel said, clearing her throat a little, "if you could refrain from making us grandmothers before we're 50."

Rosa blushed, and Pax looked flummoxed. "Uh, yeah. I mean, not a problem."

"Again, you say that now, but accidents happen. We want you to be careful," Amy looked at her son. "I know that your father had the talk with you years ago, but it was your father, and I'm not sure how much he impressed preparation and responsibility to you."

"He made it all very clear," he promised. "Can we please not have a sex talk?"

Amy paused. "Fine. No sex talk. But you accept all our conditions?"

Rosa and Pax nodded. "Does that mean you're happy about this?"

Miel smiled. "We're thrilled."

Amy smiled as well. "It's about time. I assume my son was the problem."

Rosa smiled and put her hand on his. "Yeah. But he was worth waiting for."

"Okay, now I have a condition. I do not want all the women in my life conspiring against me," Pax frowned.

"You should really get used to that," Miel informed him with a smile. "We should go get the boys before they decide they're staying until last call."

Amy checked her watch. "Yeah. If we hurry, we can cut them off at the third round. I'm not playing nursemaid to a Huntzberger hangover on the plane."

They hugged their children and departed, leaving a shell-shocked pair in their wake.

"Can we rewind and pretend we didn't just discuss breaking up, getting married, or having babies?" Pax finally asked.

Rosa frowned and then shrugged. "Yeah. I'm okay with that. But you're still not getting lucky tonight."

She turned and went back into her room. He turned slowly to follow her. "Damn."


	73. Chapter 73

"Are you okay?"

"I'm fine," came the gruff response.

"You don't look fine."

"Shh! People will stare."

"People are going to stare anyway. You're pale. And sweating."

Luke sighed heavily. "I am not."

Lorelai put her hand across the back of his neck. "You're all clammy."

"Will you," he whispered with as much force as he dared. They were near the back of the church, but it was an older chapel and everyone, including the deceased, was in close proximity.

"I'm not interrupting anything; we're waiting for the service to start."

"I don't want to discuss this."

"And I don't want you to pass out. For one, I can't carry you by myself, and two, I think it's frowned upon to have to carry an extra body out of a funeral service. It's just a gut feeling."

"I'm not going to pass out. I'm just not crazy about dead bodies."

"It's a funeral. Were you expecting show tunes?"

"I was expecting a closed casket," he corrected.

"Why? He wasn't disfigured in a horrible accident or anything. He just looks like he's taking a nap."

"Please don't describe the dead person," he closed his eyes.

"How did I not know you were scared of dead bodies?"

"I'm not scared of them. They're just not my favorite thing."

"They're not anyone's favorite thing. Except necrophiliacs, I guess."

"Oh my God. Stop."

Lorelai covered her mouth, trying to hold in her amusement. It was, after all, a funeral. "You would never survive a zombie attack."

He rolled his eyes. "We are not having this argument again."

Rory approached them, coming down the small main aisle from where she'd been standing with Tristan, up near the casket. "What's wrong with Luke?" she asked her mom.

"I'm fine," Luke assured her.

"You really don't look good," Rory frowned. "Are you going to pass out?"

"I am not going to pass out!" Luke said hastily, causing a few people to turn their heads.

"Told you," Lorelai muttered.

"No one would be staring at me if you two weren't harassing me."

"How's Tristan?" Lorelai changed the subject.

"He's okay, I think. He's a little nervous about the eulogy, but I read it in the car on the way over, and it's really good. I'm not sure it's really hit him, though. We knew it was coming, but that doesn't make it any easier."

Lorelai nodded. "Let us know if we can do anything else."

"Bringing Jake was great. We had a lot going on yesterday, and I know it was better for him to stay over with you guys. Hey, did you guys talk to him about moving back to New York?"

Lorelai shook her head. "Not us, specifically. Why?"

Rory shrugged. "I know he wasn't really excited to leave North Carolina, but he told us that if possible he'd like to transfer back soon, instead of waiting for the semester to finish out."

"Good for him," Lorelai beamed. "There was sort of, ah, an airing of dirty laundry this morning, and he worked through his issues."

"An airing of dirty laundry?" Rory repeated.

"Will found a positive pregnancy test in his bathroom trash and called an emergency three-family meeting."

"Anna's pregnant?" Rory asked, excitedly.

Lorelai shook her head. "No. that was the problem. Everyone had secrets from each other, and Will couldn't take it anymore. So he got everyone together to tell their secrets, so there would be no more peeing and fleeing."

Rory frowned. "Right. Well, at least he doesn't have to worry about everyone finding out they're already married anymore. So, who is pregnant?"

Lorelai blinked. "Who's already married?"

Luke said, "Jess," as Rory said, "Will."

"What?" they all said at the same time. Then Rory added, "Oh, shoot. Right, Jess is married."

"Will's getting married this weekend. They can't already be married," Lorelai said, still in shock.

"They are. I mean, I just meant," Rory faltered. "Oh, there's the minister. I should go. Just drag Luke out to the courtyard if he starts to faint, okay?" Rory said as she hustled back to the front, sitting in the front row, sandwiching herself in between her husband and her daughter. She leaned across Ella and looked at her son. "Just what went on in Stars Hollow this morning?"

Jake looked up at the minister, who was preparing to address the crowd. "Don't worry. I'm sure you'll find out all about it at the wake."

"Everything okay?" Tristan asked.

Rory nodded and squeezed his hand. "Yeah. Just, crazy town stuff. Let's say goodbye to your Dad."

Tristan nodded, and at the invitation of the minister, moved to stand in front of the mourners to eulogize his father.

XXXX

A loud banging brought Ambrose out of the back of the diner, where too many people were working under Sookie's very high expectations. Thanks to the all-glass exterior, he immediately sighed as he saw who was banging on the door.

"Let me in!"

"Go away, Kirk!" Ambrose yelled through the door.

"You don't have the authority to deny me service. You're not the proprietor!"

Ambrose looked around and shrugged. "Yeah, well, if you don't want to deal with me, I can go get my dad. I'm sure he'd love to tell you off in a manner that would probably get me grounded."

"Jess can't ban me! Only Luke has that authority, and if he's not willing to come out here and tell me to my face, then I demand to be served! I'm hypoglycemic, and I really need food now! I won't make it to Al's!"

"Why can't you just eat at home if you were so hungry?"

Kirk looked down. "Mother doesn't allow me to cook. And she tends to burn everything she makes so it's not undercooked."

"What's going on out here? Aww, man. Kirk, go away!" Jess reiterated.

"I'm not afraid of you," Kirk said too quickly to be convincing.

"Kirk, we're closed."

"Then why is there all that food out? Is everyone hiding from me? Does everyone hate me now? It was a clerical error!"

"We're not hiding customers, Kirk. We're closed for a private party. Luke is at a funeral, and then we're hosting a wake here."

"Someone died? Was it Lorelai? Tell me it wasn't Lorelai!"

Jess stared and then blinked. "What?"

"I always felt we had a connection. We almost had a date once. I know Luke was jealous, but I never thought he'd keep me from saying goodbye."

"Alright, Kirk, time to go. Luke will be open normal business hours tomorrow, but I don't suggest you come by then either."

"You can't ban me!" Kirk shouted again. Jess looked at Ambrose, who shrugged.

"I'm not banning you, and Lorelai's not dead. Rory's father-in-law passed away, and Luke is still pretty upset about your 'clerical error'. It's just advice, man. It's your funeral. So to speak," he frowned.

"Fine. I'll go. I just have one more question."

Jess arched an eyebrow. "What?"

"Is it true that Jackson is opening a gay cupcakery?"

"Goodbye, Kirk," Jess said with authority, and Kirk relented. Apparently his medical condition had improved to the point that he could hurry away to the next open food establishment.

"That man is Looney Tunes," Ambrose shook his head.

"I'm pretty sure he has a missing chromosome," Jess agreed. "Hey, have you talked to your sister?"

"She's only speaking to Lia and Anna right now," Ambrose informed him. "She said something about me not being on her side. I have no idea what that means."

Jess rolled his eyes. "Great," he slumped into a chair.

"Bet you're glad the next one is a boy, huh?"

"I've never understood teenage girls. I had this idea in my head, when Jules was little, that she would be different. She used to tell me everything that she ever thought, which was a little too much, but she had no filter with me. She'd just climb up into my lap and tell me what she ate that day, what she colored, which pieces of equipment she played on at the playground. You would sort of head butt me, smirk, and go about your business. But now you're teenagers, you're done with high school, and she's this person with things she doesn't want to tell me."

Ambrose put his hand on his dad's shoulder. "If it makes a difference, I don't think that she wants to hide things from you. I think it's more that she's afraid you won't approve of the things she wants to do."

"Like getting a driver's license?" Jess asked.

"And having a boyfriend."

"Well, I'm not crazy about either one, but I guess they were both bound to happen eventually. It's not like I'm going to lock her in her room until she's thirty-five. I mean, it's appealing, but," Jess admitted. "Hey, why don't you get out of here for a while? Everyone should be arriving soon, so be back in a half hour or so. Just don't do anything that requires bail, okay?"

Ambrose nodded and gave him a Mariano smile. Sometimes Jess wished that his children weren't quite so much like him. Damn genetics. On that note, he took for the stairs. He noticed the door to the old apartment-now once again an office that featured a crash bed, for emergencies-was open. He'd tried to talk Gwen into going back to the Dragonfly to rest, but she'd protested, saying the bed here was fine and she'd just want to come back for the wake anyhow to give her condolences. He paused at the top of the stairs when he realized there were two familiar voices speaking.

"It's not like this was the way I planned for you guys to find out," came Jules' voice from inside the office.

"That's not why your dad is upset," Gwen assured her. "I know being a teenage girl isn't easy, I've been there, but you also have to realize that it's also hard for your dad. Especially in the position that your parents are in. They've worked really hard to make sure you guys come first, but when you lie to one and flat out hide stuff from the other… ."

"I know!"

"Why was it so important?"

"I just wanted some independence. I figured Dad wouldn't really have time to teach me to drive, so he'd just tell me that I didn't need a license in New York."

"You need to talk to him, Jules. But you need to know that you could have come to us before and talked about it. We're never too busy for you and Ambrose. If you want more time with your mom, then we can arrange that. But what I really don't want to happen is for you to think that we are overcome with the baby and would push you out of the way."

Jules paused. "But you guys will be busy with the baby."

"Babies do take time, and it will change some things, but it will never change your place in the family. I know it's hard for you to see now, but you'll have a totally different role with your little sibling. You and Ambrose are close in age, and you hang out a lot, but with this baby, you'll always be the cool older sister. The one that teaches the baby how to do stuff, the one they look up to."

"I hadn't thought about it that way."

"And they'll want you around as much as possible. You're an important part of our family. We want you all to be around. Well, you know. There are limits," Gwen joked, and Jess smiled.

"Thanks. I guess I have to talk to Dad. And Mom. They're going to kill me."

"They won't kill you. Maybe it'll be good for you all to sit down and iron stuff out, now that so much has changed."

"Yeah. Maybe. I'm sorry I interrupted your rest."

"I'm glad you feel like you can come to me. I am your step-mother after all."

"Well, you're a pretty cool step-mom."

Jess inwardly groaned. It would be harder to punish her to the fullest extent of the law after hearing that exchange. But obviously he and Erin needed to sit down, with both kids, and work some things out. He took a step back as the door opened further and Jules stepped into the hall.

"Oh. Hi."

"Hi. I was just coming to check on Gwen. I couldn't find you, so," he ducked his head to meet her eyes.

"I'm sorry, Dad."

He blew out a breath and stepped forward to hug his daughter. She wrapped her arms around him and he leaned his head against the top of hers. "It was so much easier when you were four."

"Huh?"

"Shh. I'm living in the past. I'll be done in a second."

"You're freaking me out."

Jess stood up and backed up. "Sorry. I guess grounding you won't do much good. So, for now, your official punishment begins with having to call your mother, with me on the line, to tell her what you've done. Also, no driving until after you've gone out with me a dozen times."

"Dad, I already took lessons."

"From your Mom?" he asked knowingly, with a smirk.

Jules nodded. "I went with her a few times and she took me to a driving school to prep for my test. I passed."

"Yeah, well, your mom drives like an 85-year-old, and I would prefer if you knew how to drive defensively."

Jules rolled her eyes. "Fine. Is that all?"

Jess grimaced. "That is all. When we get back, you'll still be allowed to date again."

Jules beamed and threw her arms around his neck. "Thanks, Dad!"

"Yeah, yeah, yeah. Just… don't make me regret it. Okay?"

"Promise. I'll see you downstairs?"

He nodded. "In a minute."

He slipped through the door as his daughter bounded down the stairs. Gwen was curled up on her side, reading.

He sat down next to her, leaned forward, and gave her a kiss, full on the mouth.

"Thank you."

She paused. "You were eavesdropping?"

"I was coming to check on you. I didn't have a glass up to the door or bug the place."

"She's a good kid. You've raised two really good kids."

"This one might be the bad seed. My odds can't be any better than two out of three," he joked as he rubbed her belly. She was barely in the beginning stages of starting to show. He knew she could tell a difference, but almost no one else could.

"We can just threaten to make him live with either of our parents if he's bad," she assured him, placing one hand over his.

"That'd do the trick," he shook his head. "So, you're feeling confident about this 'he' business, huh? Because it would be bad to get my hopes up," he warned.

She laughed. "Well, we do have mother's intuition and that early-detection test on our side. I'd say I'm about 85% sure. Should we start thinking of names?"

"I should warn you," he smiled deviously, "I am not an easy person to pick names out with. Erin and I almost had physical confrontations. Well, she attempted many times to hit me, but luckily I was much quicker than she was at the time. Pregnancy tends to slow women down a little," he chuckled.

"You'll play nice. Or I'll invite my mother to visit," she narrowed her gaze. He gulped. "See?" she asked. "Always works."

XXXX

Will was standing behind the counter, at the ready, as the door opened and the first car-full of mourners arrived. Unfortunately for him, it was his mother first through the door, and she did not look happy. In fact, she looked as if she might kill him using only her gaze and possibly some very choice words. Luke was right behind her, and he just shook his head.

"I can explain," Will started.

"Upstairs. Now!" Lorelai said, and then turned to find Anna. "You too!"

"Gwen's upstairs, resting," Will attempted to postpone his lashing, but Jess was no help.

"I'm pretty sure she'd love a front-row seat to some drama that isn't her own," Jess supplied. "Besides, she's something of a reality television junkie. This will be right up her alley."

"You, not helping," Will frowned.

"Then the store room. And move it before Rory and Tristan and the kids get here," Luke ordered, his gruff voice making the newlyweds jump.

Lorelai stopped by Sookie. "Everything going okay here?"

Sookie nodded. "The food's all prepped. Jackson is still recovering at home. Poor thing didn't handle that much news that quickly. I put him in bed before finishing up here."

"I can't believe those two pulled a stunt like this. Did they tell you why?"

Sookie shook her head, and raised a ladle. "No. But apparently it wasn't a shot-gun situation, so feel free to rake them over the coals. Lay the guilt on so thick they think you're going to bury them with it."

Lorelai pulled back, a little surprised. "You're really upset about this, huh?"

"It's not just them. They're the stick that broke the camel's back. But we have to make an example out of someone, right?"

Lorelai nodded. "Good point. We need to take control of the night!" she said with gusto as she marched into the store room.

"Are they going to live?" Jules asked her dad.

"Yeah. I've seen Lorelai ready to kill. It's much, much worse than that," he assured his daughter.

In the store room, Will leaned on the shelves of canned goods, while Anna sat on some boxes that were stacked on the ground. Each attempted to look ashamed of themselves, but as soon as Lorelai and Luke stood in front of them and asked if there was anything they'd like to say about their actions, they caught each other's eyes and smiled.

"Stop it! Stop giving each other googly eyes!" Lorelai groaned. "It's like you're fourteen all over again. Do you know what it was like to watch you two dance around each other all those years? It was so obvious to everyone that you were meant to be together, and then we lived through you both dating other people, which always made the other one crazy. And we were so happy that you finally got together, and you go and do this?"

Will frowned. "We didn't think of it that way. We just wanted a small, intimate moment before we celebrated with everyone else in our lives."

Luke cleared his throat. "Not that I'm condoning this," he said, glancing at Lorelai, "but I do understand the desire."

Will stepped up to his mom. "Come on, Mom. You know I love you and that I wanted to let you go crazy with Sookie planning a whole big blowout to celebrate. I know how much it means to you. And we were always planning to let you guys have that. But this was just for us. We wanted something, for once, that was just ours. Just for a little bit."

"Go on," she said with narrowed eyes, though clearly her resolve was waning.

"And once we found out about you and Dad and the fact that you were going to have to get married again anyhow, it seemed even more perfect to set up a vow renewal and a first time marriage license, that way no one would have to know who was doing which."

"So, part of your scheming was to protect me?" Lorelai asked.

"Yes," Will nodded.

"My baby!" she cried happily as she threw her arms around him. "You were going to lie and deceive people to protect your mother's integrity. I taught you so well!"

Luke just shook his head. "I'd say congratulations, but I'm pretty sure you're second-guessing the fact that you're already legally tied to this gene-pool."

Anna gave him a tight smile. "Yeah. I mean, it's not news to me or anything, but displays like this always give me pause."

"Alright, you two are forgiven. Now, should you choose to go the next step and also make me forget, then we should pick a time and really talk in depth about what you can do to aid that. But off the top of my head, it's almost inventory time at the Dragonfly, and," Lorelai began.

"As much as I'm sure the kids would love to listen to a list of your insane demands on their time, shouldn't we be getting back to the wake?" Luke pointed to the door.

"Are you sure you can handle it, big guy?" Lorelai teased.

"I'm pretty sure they're not going to bring the dead guy into the diner. It's against health violations for one," he gruffed.

"Are you talking about Rory's father-in-law?" Will asked, aghast.

"Did you know your dad was afraid of dead people?" Lorelai asked.

"Well, that would certainly make it difficult to survive the zombie apocalypse," he frowned.

"What is it with you guys and the zombie apocalypse? Is it happening? Is the date set, did I miss the news coverage?"

Will shrugged. "It's just something you should be prepared for, Dad. It's like the Spanish Inquisition."

"Nobody expects the Spanish Inquisition," Anna deadpanned.

Will smiled and hugged her. "My wife," he beamed.

Lorelai stopped and put her hand over her heart. "Oh. I just can't believe I missed it."

"If it helps, you can pretend that next weekend is the first time," Anna promised. "I'm pretty sure Mom's going the denial route. And poor Dad hasn't even realized what we told him."

"Yes, and I would like to thank you for not bringing Paris into our lives, suddenly revealing your sexuality, and announcing your pregnancy in addition to telling us you eloped," Luke shook his head. "I can't believe I actually feel sorry for Jackson."

"Hey, one last thing," Will said as they moved to leave the store room. "Did you know that Sookie was friends with Duff Goldman?"

Lorelai laughed derisively. "Friends? More like frenemies," she informed as she put one arm around Anna and led the foursome out of the room and back toward the diner.

XXXX

Tristan and Jess stood behind the diner, in the back alley, taking their first puffs. Tristan took a long drag off the cigarette in his hand and held his breath for a little longer than normal before blowing out the smoke slowly.

"So, I promised Rory this would be the last time," he said finally.

Jess blew out some smoke from the side of mouth. "Yeah?"

"Yeah."

"Huh."

They stood there, smoking, in relative silence. It was early evening, and the air was crisp and clear, save for the billowing smoke emitting from the burning embers they were producing.

"It seems fitting. Like one for the road," Tristan said finally.

"What do you mean?" Jess asked.

"This is it. I'm the oldest male in my family. It's funny, even when Dad and I weren't speaking, I didn't feel like this. It's like I've moved up somehow, I'm in a position that I wasn't in before."

"Having another kid feels like that for me. With Am and Jules, I never had a thought that I might miss any of their lives. But by the time this kid graduates high school," Jess let out a low whistle. "Maybe I better stop for good this time, too."

"It's the end of an era," Tristan said as he took another drag. "It's time, though."

Jess nodded as he blew out more smoke. "Next thing we know, it'll be Jake and Ambrose pulling this kind of stuff."

"I don't care how old he gets, Rory would kill him. She freaked out enough when she found out he bought condoms."

Jess laughed. And then he laughed some more. "Thanks, man. I needed that. What did she do?"

"She calmed down once I told her the poor kid was reading the individual packets to cover all the fine print."

Jess frowned. "Who has time to read the condom packets? Jeez, I'm lucky if I can rip the stupid things open in one try in the dark with my teeth fast enough."

Tristan frowned. "Dude. Too much information. But yeah. I think he just bought them to have them. Like a cigarette in case of imminent death. Maybe that's what I should do. Plant one somewhere that I can get to it if I'm about to die."

"So, this is your second to last one?" Jess reiterated.

Tristan took the last puff. "Never say never."

Jess tossed his cigarette down and put it out with the toe of his shoe. "Well, as someone who had no plans have another child at this stage of his life, I can support that motto."

"You know, Rory would probably appreciate it if you could talk to Jake, you know, about the fact that condoms aren't the most reliable things—especially when you use your teeth to open them in the dark."

Jess laughed. "Poor kid. I would love to put the fear into him. He scares so much easier than Ambrose ever did."

Tristan nodded. "So, what do we do now?"

Jess frowned. "I have no idea."

"How do you feel about scotch?"

Jess cocked his head to one side as they walked back to the diner. "I think we can strike a new accord."

XXXX

Jake walked into the diner and handed his grandmother a bag that she'd sent him off in search of after Elizabeth had left and most of the guests were gone. Just the stragglers were around. "There is something seriously weird happening."

Lorelai put her arm around her grandson. "I told you, it's just extra wedding invitations that Sookie wants to get framed. There aren't any weird feminine hygiene products in here."

Jake made a face, "Ew, Grandma, gross. No, I mean out there," he pointed to the outside world, the town square of the tiny hamlet in which his mother grew up.

Lorelai peered. "Looks the same as it always does this time of year."

"Well, something happened, because everyone is talking, and most of them quieted down when I passed, so I finally got sick of it and asked Gypsy what was up. She told me that Jackson was walking around earlier, telling everyone that he was opening a gay cupcakery in town, that he wasn't married, and that you were having another baby."

Lorelai blinked, then burst out laughing.

"What is so funny?"

"Sook! Sookie, come here right now!"

Sookie popped out from the kitchen and scanned the food. "What? Are we low on the shrimp? I thought food consumption had slowed, it's the dessert and drinks we were worried about," she frowned.

"No, the food's great. It's Jackson. He's doing it again."

Sookie paled. "Oh, NO!"

"What did you give him? Ambien again?"

"No! I went straight for the Xanax. I will NEVER give him Ambien again," she shuddered.

"What happened when you gave Jackson Ambien?" Rory asked, having turned to listen when her son and mother began conversing.

Sookie collected herself. "Well, he'd been having trouble sleeping last fall, when his pumpkin crop wasn't coming along as he'd hoped, and I found him sitting in the town square, in a kilt," she paused long enough for Lorelai to interject, "And ONLY a kilt," before continuing, "surrounded by concentric of circles of pumpkins, reciting the entire screenplay to Charlie Brown's Halloween special. He thought he was the Great Pumpkin until it wore off."

The crowd giggled, but Sookie was still concerned. "What's he done now?"

Lorelai relayed Jake's message, via Gypsy. "Oh, no! All our secrets, but none attributed to the right person!" Sookie smacked her head. "He's always been a closet old bitty. I think if I die first, he's going to start going to Miss Alice's Hair Barn, sipping pink lemonade and gossiping with the white-hairs."

"May I ask what a gay cupcakery is?" Tristan asked.

"First, ask yourself if you really want to know the answer to that," Rory postulated.

"Right. Never mind," he shook his head.

"What is a gay cupcakery?" Rory asked her mother.

"I don't know, but I do know Paris is funding it," she informed her daughter, whose mouth dropped open.

"See, I told you it was a bad idea to kiss Paris. She's clearly always had a thing for you," Tristan told his wife. "Now she's buying real estate in your home town."

"I didn't kiss her! She kissed me," Rory pointed her finger at her husband. "I shouldn't have to keep explaining this. It doesn't suddenly get dirty."

"You kissed Paris?" Ella asked. "Mom, please don't tell me we have to hear about some weird experimentation phase in college or something."

"She did it to get free drinks. It didn't work," Rory informed her daughter. "Besides, it was your father who actually kissed Paris."

"I'm starting to think that maybe Paris buying that building wasn't the greatest idea," Billy said.

"You think?" Luke barked.

"I only kissed her because you told me to!" Tristan reminded. "It wasn't something I ever would have done on my own."

"Please tell me that these were two separate occurrences," Jake said, his eyes squeezed shut. "Please?"

"They were years apart," Rory assured him. "When did Paris buy a building in Stars Hollow?"

Billy looked guilty. "Jane and I are opening a bakery. Paris and Marty bought the building, saying it was a good investment whether we were successful or not."

Rory blinked. "Huh. It's like Yale, all over again. I'll just never be rid of that woman."

"Except you're not moving back to Stars Hollow," Lorelai pointed out. "As much as I tried and tried to brainwash you over the years, your home is New York."

"True," Rory smiled at her husband, who squeezed her hand.

"But now every time you visit, we can get cupcakes!" Lorelai said with mock enthusiasm.

"Oh boy?" Rory asked.

"My cupcakes are good!" Billy said, exasperated. "Why won't anyone believe me?"

"Well, clearly Honey, you need to start plying us with treats to get us on your side," Sookie soothed her son.

"And some advertising wouldn't hurt. Hey, I bet we could threaten Kirk into wearing a Dancing Cupcake outfit around town when you open," Lorelai supplied.

"Whew. I thought she was going to volunteer me," Will said.

"You might wish that was all I asked of you when I'm done with you," Lorelai smiled.

Rory looked up at her tired husband, and gently tugged at his hand until she led him back to the store room.

"Should we be back here?" he asked, looking at all the systematically arranged stock.

"Luke won't mind. How are you holding up?" she asked, searching his face. He looked a little worse for the wear, but still the handsome man she's married many years ago. "I saw you go out with Jess."

"I'm really tired," he said, closing his eyes most of the way when she put her hand to his cheek.

"I think it's time to get you to bed. I'll drive."

He smiled and brought her in closer. "Thank you."

"For what?" she asked.

"For tying my tie," he smiled.

"My pleasure. He would have been really pleased," she kissed his cheek.

"With my tie?"

"With his son. You did your dad proud today."

He nodded and held her, holding tight as if he might slip away if he let go. She wrapped her arms around him, waiting for whatever might come. They stood there, wrapped up in one another, finally taking a moment away from everyone else to experience the beginning of their grief. Tristan finally composed himself, kissed the top of her head, and said, "We should go. We still have to get back to Mom's."

Rory nodded. "Yeah. And Sookie prepared a month's worth of freezer meals for your mom we need to take with us."

"It's going to be nice to be home," he said, as they went back in to the diner to say their goodbyes.

XXXX

Ella opened the door, her bags heavy on her shoulder as she stepped into the threshold of her dorm room. She was past the point of exhaustion, and had managed to convince her parents that she would rather come back to Yale and get caught up on things than spend the rest of the weekend in Hartford.

The whole group looked up at her. The television was the only noise as they had all stopped talking and laughing when they heard the click of her key opening the door.

Rosa jumped up, having pushed a big bowl of popcorn off her lap. "How are you? We didn't expect you to come back so soon. Did everything go okay?"

Ella smiled. "No, it all went fine. I'm just tired and have a lot of catch up to do tomorrow, so my folks dropped me off here."

"I can send the boys home, we were just hanging out," she offered.

"No, no! You should all stay. Don't leave because of me. I'm just going to pass out in my room. Please, stay. It feels normal, and that's sort of comforting."

The boys nodded, signaling that they'd stay for a while. Rosa gave her a hug before moving back to the couch. Ella went to her room, dumped her bags on the floor, and closed the door softly.

Rosa stared at Jasper.

"What?"

"Just curious," she said.

"As to?" he implored.

"Whether or not you're going to do something stupid," she shrugged.

"What, like you and Pax carrying on behind our backs like we wouldn't notice?" he smirked. "No, I'm simply going to take my leave. I also have some work to do tomorrow, and clearly Ella is tired and needs rest. Goodnight, all," he stood up and left the common room.

"And then there were three," Grey said, taking the remote and turning the television off. "I think it's time we had a chat. I know our moms were here."

Rosa and Pax shared a look. "So?" Rosa asked.

"So, since everyone knows now, even though you didn't see fit to tell us all, I think there should be some ground rules."

"What is it with everyone and ground rules?" Pax questioned.

"It changes the group dynamic," Grey informed him. "Do you want a repeat of the weirdness that happened when you and Jasper were both going after Ella?"

"Hey, we've moved past that!" Rosa informed her brother. "And we're not discussing it anymore."

"Right. Ella is going to be with Jasper, more than likely, and Rosa is with me. Is this about you being a fifth wheel?" Pax asked.

"Look, it's up to Ella to decide whom she wants to be with, and I am not a fifth wheel," Grey narrowed his gaze at his friend.

"Whoa, calm down! He was kidding about the fifth wheel. And since when was Ella choosing between Jasper and someone else again?"

"She's not. I just mean, that's her business," he said, not meeting his sister's eyes.

"Oh no. Is that what your mood has been about? What is it with you guys and Ella?"

"Will you shut up?" Grey asked, glancing at Ella's door. "This isn't about me. This is about you two. Will you just please promise to keep any fighting and inappropriate touching behind closed doors?"

"Did you really think I was going to throw him down on the couch and have my way with him in front of you guys? Gross."

"Gross?" Pax frowned.

"The in front of my brother part. Not the having my way with you," she smiled.

"Good," he smiled back.

"Okay, this, right here, is what will give me an aneurysm. Behind closed doors! Go!" he pointed to her door.

Pax rolled his eyes and went for Rosa's door. Rosa stepped closer to her brother. "You know, you and Ella have been trying to say something to one another for a while now. I don't know what that is," she paused, "but I know that this might be your only chance. It's not perfect timing, but maybe you should get it out of the way before things get back to normal."

Grey frowned. "Good night, Rosa."

She shrugged her shoulders and gave a wave as she shut the door to her own bedroom. Grey took a step for the front door, but then turned on his heel and walked to Ella's door. He put his hand on the knob, and let go. He was moving to pick up his forgotten jacket from the couch when Ella's door opened and they stood there, staring at one another.

"Hey," she said, tucking her hair behind her ear. She'd changed out of her funeral clothes and into a t-shirt and sweat shorts that read YALE across the butt. "You guys really didn't have to leave on my account."

"Oh, no, they …," he pointed to the empty room. "Jasper called it a night, then Rosa and Pax, well," he frowned.

She crossed her arms and leaned against her doorframe. "So, they're officially an item now, huh?"

He nodded. "Seems so. It's about time, though."

She smiled. "Good for them."

"I should let you go. You must be wiped."

"No, I mean, I'm tired, but I can't sleep," she admitted. "Today was surreal. This whole week has been," she shook her head. "Can I tell you something?"

He sat down and she moved to sit next to him. "Sure."

"This will probably sound dumb to you," she began, trying to talk herself out of even saying it.

"No, I mean, you can tell me," he assured her.

"Okay. Here goes. So, before all this happened with my grandpa, when I was still trying to figure out who my secret admirer was," she bit her lip.

"We should have all known it was Jasper. It was classic Jasper."

She frowned. "Right. But for a while, I sort of thought… well, I was just wondering if maybe someone other than Jasper was behind it."

Grey eyed her with caution. He got the feeling he knew exactly what she was thinking, but he didn't want to be wrong or cause things to get complicated. Ella was off-limits, as far as he was concerned. "Interesting."

Ella stared at him for a moment. "Like I said. I guess I was wrong."

Grey closed his eyes. "Listen, unofficially," he began and then opened his eyes, to look into hers, "Jasper may have been the only person that was sending you gifts and trying to win your affection, but I'm sure that there are other men out there that wish they'd had the good luck to get your attention first."

Ella opened her mouth to say something, but her words failed her. Grey stood up. "I should go. You look… well, you look adorable. But beat. I'll see you around."

"Grey," she said, standing to move toward him. "Wait."

He smiled and shook his head. "It's okay. You don't have to."

She stood there, shoulders slumping. "I don't know what to say."

"Just say goodnight, Ella."

"Goodnight, Ella," she teased. "Sorry. I go for the joke under pressure."

He just smiled and took his leave. She locked the door behind him after a minute, and then went back to her room, ignoring the sounds coming from her roommate's room. She would be needing some earplugs. She stepped into her own room, saw the still-packed bags from her time in Hartford, a stack of books that needed her attention, and a package sitting on her bed. She moved to the one object that hadn't been there when she'd gone out to find Grey in the common room. She moved to her window to see if anyone was nearby, but saw no one. She grabbed the card and opened it. She smiled at its message.

_Thought you could use one last gift. Though you're my identity is no longer secret, you are still very much admired. This is what I get when I need comfort. Call me when you're ready._

She opened the package to find a whole box of turtle cheesecake brownies. She took a single treat out, ate it slowly, and then once the heavenly comforting goodness was all devoured, she got ready for bed.


	74. Chapter 74

"This is stupid," Jess muttered as they sat around the diner, waiting for the rest of the crew to arrive.

"It's tradition," Tristan pointed out.

"That doesn't make it less stupid," Jess argued.

"You get no arguments from me. But Rory made me come," he glanced at his old friend and partner in crime.

Luke came in from the back, shutting the door into the diner from storage. "How long is this going to take?" he barked.

"Wow," Tristan shook his head.

"What?" they both asked.

"It just never fails to amaze me how similar you to are. It's actually gotten worse over the years."

"It's called genetics," Jess offered.

"It's more than that. You two should have your own reality show."

"No way. Lorelai would get involved and put us in situations that she found funny," Luke shook his head.

"Like what?" Tristan asked.

Luke thought for a minute. "Volunteering for charities with children, working with animals… and no doubt some sort of spa vacation for two."

"Sounds likely to end in bloodshed," Tristan noted.

"And thus ending our television careers," Jess smirked.

The door to the diner opened, and the official guest of honor stepped through the threshold. "Wow. You guys look primed," Will noted dryly.

"You're not even a bachelor," Luke said as he stacked a few more chairs. Will moved to help him.

"Mom agreed that we'd overlook that particular detail. It's not like we've already celebrated our golden anniversary—it's only been a few weeks."

"And now we have to celebrate his lying, secretive tendencies by taking him to see naked ladies?" Tristan asked, bemused.

"Naked ladies?" Jess inquired. "They're strippers, not debutantes."

"Most of the women he's seen naked were debutantes," Will laughed. "You can see how he'd get confused."

Jess shook his head. "I'm willing to bet he's seen way more strippers than debutantes."

Tristan smiled. "That information is classified."

"Does this night really have to involve naked ladies?" Luke griped.

"What, you've lost that loving feeling?" Jess mocked him.

"I just mean," Luke cleared his throat, ignoring his nephew, "that won't we have a few underage companions tonight?"

"Kids?" Tristan sank down. "I was under the impression that bachelor parties were kid-free situations."

"That's date-night," Jess shook his head. "I mean, I don't really care if Ambrose tags along, naked ladies or not, but if Rory wasn't thrilled about Jake having condoms, I can't imagine she'd be thrilled about him getting a lap dance."

"No one will be getting a lap dance!" Luke said, just as the door opened to reveal Jake, Ambrose, and the two Melville sons.

Ambrose turned to Jake. "What's the point of a bachelor party, then?"

"Who planned this thing?" Jess asked.

"I did," Dave raised his hand and then put it down, realizing the action wasn't called for.

"Tell me there will at least be alcohol involved," Tristan begged, and then looked to his son. "I mean, for those of us of age."

Ambrose sighed. "Crap."

Jake looked from his best friend to his father. "What are we doing?"

Tristan shrugged. "I have no idea."

"We're going to have a bachelor's night out," Dave answered. "I have it all planned."

"Wait, where's Jackson?" Will asked.

"He'll be here in a minute. He said he had some official town business to attend to. I don't know what's going on, but he had like three hundred fliers he was printing," Billy explained. "Mom insisted he come, though; she says he's had a tough week."

"It's been a long week for all of us," Jess said, looking at the group. "Which is why I assumed if we were really going to do this, it would be a chance to blow off some steam, like men."

"With naked ladies and alcohol?" Will asked.

"Strippers! They are called strippers! And I defy you to find a strip club that doesn't serve alcohol."

"I defy you to find a strip club that admits the under-aged," Dave said, interrupting.

"I never had a problem," Jess muttered, receiving a palm slide from Tristan.

"Oh no. No, no, no. Not again!" Will shook his head at his best friend, ignoring his cousin. "I am not watching _Showgirls_ in your parent's rec room, swigging shots of peppermint schnapps!"

"No, no, no," Jess shook his head, making a face and giving them two thumbs down. "I'm going home. Taking care of a pregnant woman who is ingesting her weight in Taco Bell sounds like much more fun."

"No one is going home! And we're not watching _Showgirls_! I have a plan, which does not involve schnapps of any flavor. We're not staying in Stars Hollow, there will be booze for those with legal forms of ID, and you're going to have to give up the talk of strippers. But I have concocted a proper send off for Will into married life."

"Too late," Jess smirked.

"We're retroactively celebrating. And it's not like we're the only ones. The girls are doing the same thing tonight," Will protested.

"And it's tradition," Dave reminded.

"Great, so you have a night of semi-debauchery planned, with some age restrictions observed. What's the hold up?" Tristan inquired.

"You'll know when it's time," Dave promised. "Hey, is that Dad?" he asked, looking out the windows of the diner. Jackson was across the town green, stapling fliers to every surface he passed.

"What's he doing?" Luke asked, standing next to Dave.

"Defacing every square inch of the town? Kirk is going to have his panties in a wad," he said as he watched his father work the staple gun.

"Maybe I should go help him," Luke mused, liking the idea of Kirk losing his mind over the breaking of town regulations and codes.

Tristan took out his phone and opened it to read the text that buzzed him in the leg. He read it, laughed, and then called his son over to see.

"Why does she think I'm five?" Jake asked his dad.

"You're her youngest child. And part of her is terrified you'll go through a phase like the one which characterized my teenaged years."

"She sat me down at the kitchen table with a banana today," he blinked.

"She wants you to be prepared," Tristan laughed. "Look, I agree that your mother is a little over the top, but she wants you to be informed. I think that you're old enough to start making decisions, and while she obviously wants to remain in control of what you see and do," he said, regarding her text to at least cover his son's eyes when they no doubt get to the naked women, "I agree that you need to be informed. And preferably by something better than viewing _Showgirls_ in someone's basement."

"It's a rec room," Dave sighed.

"How very _Brady Bunch_ of you," Tristan replied before turning back to his son. "Who do you want to talk to? Me again? Jess? Will? Luke?"

Jake frowned. "We had the basic talk. I know the mechanics. Insert slot A into tab B. It's not rocket science."

Tristan shuddered. "I'm going to pretend you didn't just say that."

Jess laughed. "This kid desperately needs to see some strippers."

"What about me?" Ambrose asked.

"We're not talking about you," Jess looked him in the eyes. "And I already know you're informed."

"Does this have to turn into a group sex talk?" Billy asked. "Wait. That came out wrong."

"Shut up, cupcake boy," Dave shook his head. "And there will be no strippers."

"We need some new traditions," Tristan grumbled.

"Does Mom even allow you to go to strip clubs?" Jake asked.

"I don't need to go to strip clubs," Tristan smirked, and Jess offered him a high five.

Luke glared at him. Will stood next to him, his arms folded in the same manner, with the same scowl. Tristan sat up. "Okay, see, they have the same freaky genetic thing happening there too."

"If we can please keep references to anyone else's sister or mother out of the naked woman talk, I know I'd be thrilled," Dave said, looking pointedly at Will.

"Hey, I'm a bachelor tonight, remember?" Will defended.

"A married 'bachelor' who thought his new bride was pregnant," Jess reminded with finger quotes.

"I'm not saying we were abstaining," he frowned. "I'm simply agreeing to terms."

Jake turned to his father. "How much more complicated is it? I mean, you can't do it wrong, can you?"

"Geez, man, get a copy of _Sex and the City_," Ambrose advised. "What?" he asked when his father shook his head at him.

"You're gonna confuse the poor kid," Jess said. "Look, I'm your godfather. This is my territory. We'll go out soon and I'll get you squared away."

Tristan paled. "You're not allowed to buy him a hooker."

"Noted."

"Hey, look, it's here!" Dave exclaimed, making all the men stop talking about naked women and the facts of life to see the giant black bus pull up in front of Luke's Diner. It had Party Bus written along the entire side of the vehicle in giant purple letters.

"Our transportation has arrived!" Dave announced. "Gentlemen, let's roll."

Tristan and Jess exchanged glances. "At least we're not going to anyone's rec room."

"There's alcohol on board," Dave assured the group. "And soda," he looked at the three younger attendees.

"How about a mix?" Ambrose asked his dad.

"How about my foot meets your," he began as the group headed out of the diner and was met by a driver wearing a chauffer's uniform. Luke locked up the restaurant just as Jackson arrived.

Luke took one of the fliers. "You're calling an emergency town meeting tomorrow night? It's the rehearsal," he reminded.

"I got a full go-ahead from Sookie. It's the only way to sort out all the confusion I caused. And I want to enjoy my kid's wedding. I'm just going to have a short presentation, outlining what the town needs to know regarding the recent developments."

Luke put a hand on his shoulder. "It's a lot of change. Is everything…?" he asked. It wasn't something he was comfortable with, even after living with Lorelai all this time, to inquire about personal matters. But like it or not, this man was a part of his life and they would share grandchildren no doubt someday.

Jackson nodded. "It will be. I love my kids. And Sookie assures me that we have to let them live their own lives. It's my duty to handle the town and present a united, supportive front."

"Alright, let's go see some naked ladies!" Billy exclaimed as he hopped onto the bus.

Jackson turned to Luke. "Naked ladies?"

Luke sighed and began to walk and push Jackson along. "Don't ask. Just… don't ask."

XXXX

A peal of laughter burst out as they sat around the Dragonfly dining room, a full tea set out and food disappearing rapidly.

"So, what did he do with the banana after he peeled it?" Lorelai asked, nearly blind from the tears.

Rory shook her head, unable to talk. "He would so kill me if he knew I was telling this story," she began.

"It can't be any worse than when Jackson first tried to show Davey. He pulled in some of his cucumber crop and then he had to answer a series of concerned questions about size and inadequacy," Sookie remembered, still wiping tears from her cheeks.

"Luke nearly passed out when he came home and heard me telling Will the facts of life," Lorelai remembered.

"He was five at the time," Rory interjected.

"Hey, I started with you before you were out of diapers," she countered.

"You were the youngest child I've ever heard say, 'No glove, no love,'" Sookie remembered.

"Which is why I promised Luke I'd hold off a little with Will."

"Yes, and for weeks after he asked every single person he came into contact with if they used condoms," Sookie laughed. "I thought Luke would die of embarrassment when he asked the Reverend's wife at the town picnic."

"We found some a couple of years later in the old apartment over the diner and used them as water balloons," Anna remembered. "Will, Davey, and I dropped them on Taylor from Luke's old apartment window, and he started screaming about prophylactics and the deterioration of the younger generation with their lack of morals since schools passed them out like candy."

"Luke wasn't very happy when I admitted there were flavored varieties," Lorelai admitted.

"Again, to a seven year old," Sookie pointed out.

"What did he want me to do, lie? You shouldn't lie to kids."

"I don't think that lying and not explaining flavored condoms are quite the same issue," Rory pointed out.

"Don't forget glow-in-the dark," Lorelai gleefully optioned.

"Why do they need to glow in the dark?" Lia questioned.

"All right, who is ready for the next part of the evening?" Sookie asked, deflecting her daughter's question.

Lorelai perked up. "Strippers?"

"Oh no. Not again," Rory exclaimed. "You got us kicked out of the last place."

Anna looked to her groom's mother. "What?"

Rory cocked an eyebrow. "Someone was, and I quote, 'too handsy' with the one-dollar bills."

"That was ludicrous. I mean, sure, maybe I had one too many Long Islands, but that dancer was totally flirting with me. It wasn't my fault. Those other women were just jealous of the attention he was showing me."

Sookie and Rory exchanged glances.

"When was this?" Anna asked.

"Miss Patty's last bachelorette party. What, fifteen years ago?"

"Seventeen. I was pregnant with Jake," Rory remembered.

"We've had a serious dry spell of bachelorette parties," Lorelai frowned.

"I vaguely remember Mom coming home and staying in bed all the next day, moaning about loud music and bouncers with bad attitudes," Anna mused.

"That was by far the worst hangover I've ever had," Sookie remembered. "Which is why I'm limiting myself to three tonight."

"We get to drink?" Jules asked.

"Not all of us," Gwen patted her and smiled. "You and your sibling are not to imbibe."

"What are we doing?" Mallory asked, also in need of virgin drinks.

"Well, since so many of us are either pregnant or underage," Sookie said, addressing the gathered ladies, "I figured we'd balance the night with a lovely tea and hen session," she said as she gestured to the nearly gone spread, "with something a little more risqué. Totally appropriate, but still fun."

Lorelai pouted. "What kind of fun can we have at bachelorette party with no strippers? We aren't going to a drag club again, are we?"

Sookie shook her head. "Even better. But we need to get going. Come on, ladies, our chariot awaits!"

XXXX

"So, what do you think?"

"I can't believe you finally rented one of these," Will laughed.

"Come on! This is great!"

Will nodded. "It does live up to its name. I mean, as long as it's not dropping us off to play Bingo or something," he said as he took a drink of his beer. "How's Mal?"

Dave let out a groan. "She threw out all the chicken in the house."

Will frowned. "Freezer burn?"

"No, she's having a food aversion, and apparently it wasn't enough that she can't eat it, but it's unacceptable if I eat food we paid for."

"I guess it could be worse. I mean, you're not sleeping in your car because the sound of your breathing keeps her awake at night."

"It's still early days. Let's not get ahead of ourselves here."

"But you're excited, right?"

Dave took a drink of his own beer. "Yeah, I mean. It's a kid. I wanted kids. I'm not sure I was prepared to have one right out of the gate, but Mom and Dad are thrilled, her parents are through-the-roof happy, and we have a little money put away, so we shouldn't have to stay in the apartment much longer. We can at least look for a bigger condo or a small house."

Will held his bottle out and clinked it with his best friend. "I'll be happy to help you move. And take you out for chicken," he laughed.

"Please," Dave said, standing up and pulling a big bucket out from the stash of booze and food. "I came prepared."

XXXX

"How did you get us in here?" Lorelai shouted at her best friend and business partner, hoping against hope her loudest decibel would be sufficient. The music was loud enough to shake the building and the ones adjacent to it. The main room was filled with women, all in various states of insobriety, and very much primed for the main event.

"I have a friend who is on the judging panel!" Sookie yelled.

"How is this different from a strip club?" Anna yelled at her mother.

"No full-frontals!" Sookie yelled back. "Just oiled up, hard-muscled firemen!"

"Who, apparently, will also be gyrating to music!" Mal yelled.

"Well, how else would you prove your sexiness to beat out all the other firefighters for a chance to be in the tri-county fireman's calendar?" Lorelai shouted.

"Are you sure it's okay that we're here?" Jules asked Gwen.

Gwen looked around the crowd. "Well, they let you in. And I won't tell your dad if you don't."

Jules smiled. "Deal!"

"Oh, I forgot!" Sookie yelled, looking at her youngest daughter. "Is this a problem for you?"

Lia rolled her eyes. "It's fine, Mom, I can watch the beefy men dance around. I won't barf or anything."

"I might, though," Mallory said, her hand suddenly going to her mouth. "I don't feel so good."

"Come on, I'll go to the bathroom with you," Lia offered. "It's not like I mind missing the show."

Mal nodded and they rushed off for the ladies room.

"What are you doing?" Lorelai shouted at Rory, who had her phone out, typing a text.

"I'm telling Ella where we are. She and Rosa are going to meet us here, apparently."

Lorelai wiped a fake tear away. "I always dreamed of the day I'd get to share three generations of women, all exploiting men together."

"Something tells me Emily wouldn't have approved of an evening leering at men," Rory acknowledged.

"I wouldn't go that far. Mom had a strange wild streak that she kept hidden with a lot of success. Where do you think I got it from? I just chose to nurture it instead."

Rory nodded. "I guess that makes me feel a teeny bit better about asking my daughter to meet me at a veritable meat market," she laughed as she hit send.

"We should go get seats!" Lorelai yelled.

"If we hurry, I think we can elbow our way in halfway back," Sookie agreed.

"Go ahead! I'll wait for Ella, she's only about ten minutes away."

"I'll wait with you!" Gwen shouted. "I need some water. Jules, just stick with your Aunt Lorelai and the others, okay?"

Jules nodded, trailing behind Lorelai, Sookie, and Anna. Gwen looked around and shook her head. "This is insane. I went to a lot of places to meet guys when I was single, but this pretty much takes the cake."

"It does seem a shame, doesn't it? Not a one of us is single," Rory laughed. "But I shudder to think what the boys are all doing now," she shook her head.

"You think they're at a strip club?" Gwen asked.

"Do they have the imagination for anything else?"

"Does it bother you?"

"Tristan? No. I know he would never do anything stupid. Though I can't say I'm thrilled at Jake being in one. I'd like to think they wouldn't let him in, but," she bit her lip.

"Excuse me," came a deep voice from behind Rory. She turned to see one of the men that was no doubt waiting to hit the stage. His shirt was off, and all he wore were his fireman pants, and of course, a smile. "Can I get a beer?" he yelled at the bartender.

Rory and Gwen stared a little, finding it difficult to tear their eyes away completely and go back to their conversation while the man was sandwiched in so close to them. They were far from the only women who had taken notice. He took his drink, slammed it back, and smiled at them.

"Sorry. I'm a little nervous," he admitted.

"I'm sure you'll be…fine," Rory managed.

"Wait," Gwen said, leaning in. "Gary?"

He shook his head a second, as if doing a double take. "Gwen? Hey, how are you?"

She laughed and held up her left hand. "Married. Oh, and pregnant. How are you?"

He shrugged. "Other than slightly terrified by all the women in here, I'm good. I should get back there, though. Enjoy the show!" he said with a wave and disappeared backstage.

Rory turned her head to Gwen. "So, you know Gary?"

She blushed. "I had a date with him, a fix up. He's a nice guy, but not my type. We only went out two or three times."

"Two or three, huh?" Rory smiled.

Gwen raised an eyebrow. "Well, with a body like that, I hated to rule him out so quickly."

"No one can really blame you for trying," Rory smiled. "Hey, there's Ella," she said and waved her daughter over. Ella and Rosa came up to the pair and looked around.

"Now THIS is how we should be spending our Friday nights," Rosa informed her roommate. "Hi, Mrs. Dugrey!"

"Hi, Rosa," Rory smiled. "Hi, Sweetie. Grandma's holding our seats."

"Also, can I just say that I love the fact that your grandmother is also here?" Rosa shouted.

"I'll be right there, I'm going to hit the ladies room," Gwen shouted. Just then the music paused, the lights dimmed, and a woman came over the loud speaker.

"Ladies, your wait is over," the voice shouted, just as _It's Raining Men_ began to pump over the system, and the first batch of men came busting out on the stage.

"Oh my," Ella said, her eyes glued to the stage as five very fit men began strutting around the stage.

"This. Is. Awesome!" Rosa yelled.

"I just hope we get out of here without Lorelai getting arrested," Rory shouted, dragged the two college girls to their seats.

XXXX

"Whoa."

"I know. Right?"

"How did you even find this place?" Jess asked, cocking his head to the side.

"It was in an ad, at the back of one of the free magazines," Dave explained.

"Is this safe?" Luke asked, staring up at the platform.

"The guy I spoke with said they had a perfect safety record."

"So, we just all watch Will do it, is that what's going on here?" Billy asked.

"Nope. We're all signed up, so we're all jumping," Dave smiled.

"Not all of us," Ambrose shook his head.

Jake balked. "Are you serious? This is awesome."

"Some of us aren't adrenaline junkies. I am not bungee jumping over a body of water," Ambrose shook his head. "At least, not without alcohol," he looked to his dad.

Jess shook his head. "Forget it. If you're too afraid, you can just watch."

"I'm not afraid. That looks unsafe."

"Yeah," Will frowned. "Are you sure we shouldn't just go see some strippers?"

Dave's mouth gaped open. "Are you crazy? You said you've always wanted to try this!"

Will shook his head. "No, that was Anna. I am certain I never told you I wanted to fling my body off a platform and hoped I bounced in time to avoid death by gravitational stupidity."

"But I paid for everyone! We're going," Dave ordered. "Now!"

"Seriously, did a few lap dances ever hurt anyone?" Ambrose muttered.

XXXX

"Are you sure they're going to keep their clothes on?" Rory yelled at Sookie.

"Who cares?" she giggled, and then put down her drink. "Oh, right. Teenagers," she nodded. "It's totally PG-13!"

"I think they say T for Teen now, Sook," Lorelai corrected, then let out a long wolf-whistle. "What?" she looked at her daughter. "Technically, I'm not a married woman until Saturday."

Just down the row from them sat, Ella laughed at Rosa. "You are way too into this. Wouldn't Pax mind?"

"Hey, as long as I look and don't touch, he can't complain. Besides, since we aren't exactly speeding toward the finish line," she yelled into her friend's ear.

"Wait—you two—haven't?"

Rosa shrugged. "We're taking our time."

"You're in your room for hours every night! What are you doing in there? Playing Scrabble?"

Rosa blushed. "We do… stuff. Just not," she shrugged, "you know. Why, are you and Jasper already…?"

Ella sneaked a look at her mom. "No! But, I mean, we aren't officially even," she stopped. "It's sort of complicated."

"Can we please stop discussing our love lives? The pretty, pretty men are dancing for us!" Rosa yelled.

Ella laughed and happily went back to watching the show.

Jules sat on the end, next to Lia and Mallory, who was a nice shade of green and ready to bolt for the bathroom at any given moment. "Is she okay?" Jules yelled.

"She's fine! I think," Lia shrugged. "It's hard to tell."

"What about you?"

"It's just a bunch of guys dancing badly to terrible music. You're enjoying this?"

Jules smiled. "I would never tell Court, but there is just something about firefighters," she smiled and turned back to the show.

XXXX

"Are you ready?" Dave yelled.

"I hate you," Will scowled as the attendant adjusted the straps around his legs and the rest of the body harness.

"You're going to love it."

"I just want to live to see my wedding," Will closed his eyes.

"Good thing you're already married," Ambrose said.

Will opened his eyes. "You're not helping. Why can't someone else go first?"

"Because you're the guest of honor," Dave said. "Try not to scream like a girl on the way down."

"Dad. If I die," Will said to Luke.

"I'll fish you out of the water," he said, his face as serious as he could make it.

"Okay. On the count of three," the attendant said.

"What happens on the count of three?" Will asked, panicked.

"Well, either you jump, or I push you," she said with a huge smile. "I sort of prefer the latter, but it's your experience."

"Wait," he said, taking a big gulp.

"Have it your way," she said, "One, two, three," and then she pushed him right over the edge, freefalling in the sunset, over a river.

As Will screamed, at first as if his life were ending, and then from the sheer elation from the drop, the rest of the men peered over and cheered with him.

The attendant smiled and looked at the crowd. "Okay, boys. Who's next?"

XXXX

"Mom got hit on," Ella said with a full mouth of burrito. Gwen had insisted they drive the limo through Taco Bell's drive-thru.

"What?" Lorelai asked, her eyes widening. "By a firefighter?"

Rory rolled her eyes. "He did not hit on me. He was just being nice."

"Oh, please," Ella shook her head. "Dad would have broken that guy's nose if he heard what he said to you."

"What did he say?" Lorelai asked, leaning in toward her granddaughter. Ella whispered it in her ear, and Lorelai blushed. "Wow. Yeah, that's just dirty."

The women laughed, and Rory blushed. "Fine, he hit on me. It's not like I encouraged him. He probably just assumed I was one of the insane women throwing their panties on the stage. It's like they all just got out of prison."

Lorelai shrugged. "Hey, it's a sign of appreciation," she said in her own defense.

"Ah, the allure of the firefighter," Sookie said dreamily. "Of course, Jackson has his own appeal. It's just not quite so blatant."

"Luke would look _good _in that uniform," Lorelai purred.

"Mom," Rory nudged her, pointing at Ella.

"Please. She knows how these things work," she shrugged. "Don't you, Els?"

Ella looked at her mom and smiled. "Just don't say anything gross about Dad, and I'll pretend I have no idea what Grandma is talking about."

Rory thought for a moment. "Deal."

"Alright, ladies, we have one more stop before we break this party up!" Sookie announced.

"Mom, where could we possibly be going? My ears are ringing and I saw enough perfect six packs to last me until I'm 80," Anna assured her.

Sookie shook her head. "There is just one more thing you have to do before you get married. Again. Well, you know," she waved her hand.

"How drunk is Sookie?" Gwen asked Rory.

"She couldn't have had more than four," Rory assured her.

"Are you sure?"

"Oh yeah. If she had any more than that, we'd know."

"How?"

Rory smiled. "She passes out. Cold. As soon as number five hits her bloodstream, she's just," she paused as Sookie slumped over in her seat, fast asleep. "Oh, no. Mom!"

Lorelai cringed. "I was watching her! Crap. We're stopping. Where are we?"

The limo stopped, and Lorelai popped her head up through the limo's sunroof. It was now well past dark, and Rory popped her head up to join her. "Why on earth would Sookie bring us all here?"

"Your guess is as good as mine," Lorelai shrugged.

XXXX

"Alright, drunk people, sit; not drunk people…. Just stay out of my way and try to be useful," Luke commanded as he opened the door to the diner and flipped on the lights, causing a groan of protest from his son and Dave, who were by far the drunkest. While Luke had knocked back three beers, any effect it had on him was long since gone; Tristan and Jess were still nursing drinks, still fairly energized from their jumps and the younger boys were still miffed that they weren't given the chance to have the rules loosened a little.

"So, I can't drink and I have to cook?" Ambrose asked.

Luke stuck his head out of the kitchen. "I'm making pancakes. You're shutting your trap," he instructed. "Unless you really do want your mommy, then you know where the phone is," he smirked, shaking his head with laughter as he disappeared to assemble batter.

Ambrose slunk down in a chair. "This should be like Vegas. What happened isn't spoken of again."

Jess laughed. "I'm sure Erin will be over the moon that you thought of her as you imagined plummeting to your death," he cackled at his son.

"You were sort of a wuss. Well, you and Will. But at least Will enjoyed it in the end," Billy laughed.

"Shut up, cupcake boy!" Ambrose glared.

"Whatever, dude. My cupcakes are good," Billy shrugged.

"I'm sure your gay cupcakery will be very sucshessful," Dave slurred. "Wait… Where'sh Dad?"

"I can't lose Anna's dad, she'll kill me," Will said, bolting up and to the door.

"I guess we can't let two drunk idiots out on the streets by themselves, can we?" Ambrose asked.

"Let's go," Jake said, sighing as they moved to find his cousin and Dave standing out in the middle of the street, looking around aimlessly. Tristan and Jess were eyeing the procession from the doorway.

"Do you see him? The bus was right here," Dave said.

"Why don't you two go in and soak up some of that alcohol with pancakes," Tristan suggested.

"You got this?" Jess asked.

Tristan nodded. "These two are amateurs. What about you?"

"I thought I'd take my godson for a little chat," Jess offered.

"Sounds good. Okay, Ambrose, get your cousin. I've got Dave," Tristan instructed, offering to take the bigger and drunker of the two.

"Wait, there'sch Dad! Dad!" Dave took off at a run, Tristan swearing before going fast on his heels.

"Need help?" Jess asked.

"It's a good thing this town closes at 7:30," Tristan shook his head, still following Dave, who was zigzagging across the empty streets.

Jess laughed at his friend before looking to Jake. "Come on, kid. Follow me."

Jake sighed. "Do we really have to?"

Jess opened his jacket and revealed two beers from the party bus. "It won't be that bad. Just a talk, man-to-man. Okay?"

Jake brightened. "Yeah. All right."

XXXX

"It's a carnival," Gwen said, now standing outside of the limo, looking at all the neon lights.

"Oh, corndogs!" Mal said, suddenly feeling better. "And funnel cakes. Let's go!"

"Mom?" Rory asked.

Lorelai shrugged and looked one more time at her friend, who was completely asleep in the limo. "I have no idea. She never took me to a carnival, not even for any of my bachelorette parties."

"You had more than one bachelorette party?" Ella asked.

"Technically, this is what, your third?" Rory teased.

Lorelai nodded. "Yes, but I don't think this is the time to get into that story, do you?"

"Mom doesn't even like carnivals. The carnies freak her out, and you should never get her started on the food," Lia explained.

"Then why," Anna frowned. She looked at the expanse through the entrance, and saw one small tent that might explain it. "I have an idea. Come on, let's get Mal a corndog. I think I know what we're supposed to do."

XXXX

Jess took a sip of his beer before sitting it down next to him on the wooden plank. Their feet dangled just over the edge, their shoes a few inches from the top of the water. The moon was bright in the sky, giving them plenty of light even at the late hour.

"You okay, there, slugger?" Jess asked finally.

"Yeah. I just, uh, it's a lot of information."

"But it makes sense?"

Jake nodded. "You were very specific. Are you sure it works?"

Jess shrugged. "Technically every woman is a little different. But that? Works every time."

Jake blew out some air.

"Oh, one more thing," Jess added.

Jake looked up, bewildered. "Yeah?"

Jess leaned in. "Don't bust this out for every girl. This isn't knowledge every guy has, and it gives an impression. Unless you're looking to impress someone," Jess looked out over the water. "Not every girl is worth the trouble. Just having sex to have sex… it seems like a good idea, I know, at your age, but honestly, you have the rest of your life. And your mom did not pay me to say that."

Jake smiled. "I get it. And Dad's already covered the risks—diseases and all that."

Jess shook his head. "I'm not even talking about diseases. Just get to know the girl first. That's all I'm saying. It'll save you some headaches."

Jake nodded. "So, you're saying I shouldn't make a move on Hannah before I move back to New York?"

"Hey, I'm not here to help you sort out what you should and shouldn't do. You know her, you like her, if she likes you—that's both of your business. Just be smart. Now that you're, you know, informed."

Jake finished his beer and stood up. "Thanks."

Jess stood and began to walk him back to the diner. "Also, if you tell your Mom I let you have a beer? You die."

"Noted."

XXXX

"Who's going in with me?" Anna asked, standing at the entrance.

Rosa shoved Ella forward. "You need this."

Rory eyed her daughter. "Why do you need a fortune teller?"

"I don't," Ella said, and then looked at her friend. "I don't! What is it with you and fortune tellers?"

"What did you and Grey talk about when you got back to school?" Rosa asked, biting her lip in wait.

"Uh," Ella paused. "Fine, let's go," she said, grabbing Anna's hand and marching into the tent.

"What was that all about?" Lorelai asked.

"I have no idea," Rory admitted.

"She just needs a little insight, that's all," Rosa promised. "Oh, look, deep-fried Oreos!"

Anna and Ella ducked into the small opening and stood up in the dark, slightly foggy, tent. A woman sat at a covered table, with candles lit all around.

"Isn't that a fire hazard?" Ella whispered.

"Sit!"

They sat. "Should we say anything, or," Anna asked, but they were met with a stony glare.

"Just give me your hands."

Anna stuck out her hands to the woman, who was lost in layers of silky material, including a scarf tied around her head to hold her long hair back. "I just wanted to see if you were readable. You have good lines. I can do your cards. What about you?" she turned her gaze to Ella.

"Uh, yeah, here," she shoved her hands out as well.

"Okay. Ten bucks," she said, when she deemed Ella worthy as well.

"What are you going tell us?" Ella asked as she forked the money over.

"That," the teller informed her, "is up to the cards."

Ella exchanged a look with Anna. "Who's first?" asked the lady.

"Her. She's here because," Ella began.

"Quiet!" she admonished. "You need to think of a question. Then I will cut the cards and deal your hand. Do you have your question?"

Anna nodded. They watched in silence as the woman cut the deck and began laying out the cards, murmuring and clucking her tongue as she went. "You're engaging in a process you've already gone through, like very strong déjà vu," she began.

Anna nodded. "Right," she said as Ella smiled.

"But the second happening, it's fraught with misunderstanding," she frowned as she turned another card over.

"But it's," Anna began to argue, until she was shushed.

"The cards are not done speaking."

"Sorry."

"Now," she said, turning another card over. "But you will come into great fortune after you endure the fallout."

Anna frowned. "Fallout? What fallout?"

The fortune teller tapped the cards. "It's right here. You engage in a repeated activity, there is a falling out, and then fortune smooths your path. Now your turn," she said to Ella.

"Um," Ella hesitated.

"Can we please go back to the falling out?" Anna pressed.

"The cards have spoken. This is your path. Now you," she redirected. "Think of a question."

Ella nodded and closed her eyes. "Got it."

She heard the cards being cut and opened one eye to see a card being placed on the table. She couldn't make out the image, and she wasn't familiar with the meanings anyway.

"You have many paths open to you."

Ella sighed. "Tell me about it."

Another card slapped down. "One leads to great happiness."

Ella perked up. "Yeah?"

Another card. More frowning. "One leads to disaster. Upheaval. Despair."

Ella leaned forward. "I don't like the sound of that."

"You have notions of not having to decide. But you do. Being passive brings ruin."

"Can I get some of that fortune that she got?" Ella asked, as the final card was put into place.

"You will receive a sign. This card suggests guidance. It will light your path."

"Isn't that what the cards are for?" Ella asked.

"Thank you, come again," said the woman, as if she were a robot.

"How do I avoid the fallout?" Anna asked, still stuck on reading.

"You do not avoid. Avoiding life creates ripples. Do you know what comes of ripples?"

"Blissful ignorance?" Ella offered.

"Waves. Giant tidal waves that sweep over you and drown you. Just deal with the problems as they come and you will reap your rewards. Now leave."

Anna and Ella emerged from the tent. Everyone had a deep-fried sweet in their hand and powdered sugar on some part of their person. "Who's next?" Lorelai asked.

Ella shook her head. "You don't want to go in there. Can we go home now?"

Rory stepped forward. "What did she say? Did she predict death?"

Ella shook her head. "No. She just said I had decisions to make."

"Hah! I knew it!" Rosa asked. "You like my brother!"

"Jasper's your brother?" Rory asked, confused.

Rosa shook her head. "Nope."

"Ella!" Rory exclaimed. "We sent you to Yale to study, not to date the entire male population!"

"Your great-grandmother would be so pleased," Lorelai assured.

"First with the firefighters, and now this?" Rory asked.

"Trust me," Lorelai nodded. "What about you?" she asked Anna.

"I'm beat. I just want to make a call, then can we go?"

"I'm surprised we avoided it this long," Gwen smiled knowingly.

"What?" Anna asked.

"You're calling Will, right?" she pressed.

"I just… want to hear his voice. That's all."

"I get it. Okay, ladies. Five minutes to call your boys, then we are out of here!" Gwen announced.

XXXX

"Hey."

"Hi. Are you drunk?"

"Just a little. You?"

"I miss you."

"Me too. Ask me what I'm doing right now."

"What are you doing right now?"

"I'm eating a stack of Dad's banana pancakes, watching Tristan tackle your brother."

"What? Why?"

"Dave took off through the streets, drunk, to grab your dad, who was staring into Doose's Market, muttering about how it all made sense now. Your Dad's came in to eat, but now Dave won't stop running around the town square."

"Seeing strippers has a weird effect on you guys."

"We actually went bungee jumping."

"With strippers?" she prompted.

"There were no strippers. Did you have strippers?"

Anna paused. "Not proper ones."

Will paused. "Maybe I am drunker than I thought. What does that mean?"

"I really, really love you."

"I love you too."

"You think everything will go okay on Saturday?"

"What could go wrong? We're already married," he reminded her.

"Yeah. I guess I'll see you tomorrow?"

"Well, we do have to rehearse. I mean, just because we've done this before," he teased.

"Goodnight, Will."

"Goodnight, Anna."

XXXX

"What time is it?"

"Really late."

"Are you in trouble?"

"No. I'm just eating a deep-fried Snickers bar."

"And you thought of me?"

"Is that a problem?"

"That depends. Do you want to deep-fry me?"

"No," Ella smiled.

"Is my sister in some sort of legal trouble?"

"No. She's on the tilt-a-whirl with Lia."

"Sounds like a raging bachelorette party. Did you also play Whack-a-Mole?"

"No, but we watched firemen gyrate to _I'm Too Sexy_."

"What kind of carnival is this?" he inquired.

"Jasper is one of your best friends," she said with a sigh.

"True."

"He told me he loved me."

"He's aware of the fact that was terrifying. But he probably will mean it at some point in the future."

"Then I have a problem."

"Does this involve the gyrating firemen?"

"No."

"Because I can bail you out of jail, but with anything else, I'm not sure I can help you."

"You can't or don't want to?"

"Ella," he paused. "I can't. You said it yourself. He's my best friend. That means unless you and he don't work out… and even then…," he trailed off.

"I know. I know! This is crazy."

There was another pause. "You're not crazy. I wish you were. But you're not."

"You wish I were crazy?"

"It would definitely take your hotness down a few levels."

"You think I'm hot?"

"Well, you're no gyrating firefighter, but," he joked.

"I'm sorry I called you so late," she offered. "I just felt like I needed to talk to you."

"The hour isn't our problem. The fact that I'm glad to hear you ramble on about dancing firemen and disgusting desserts—that's more our problem."

"Goodnight, Greyson."

"Goodnight, Ella."

XXXX

"How hard would it be for you to rent a fireman's uniform?"

"Hello to you too. Someone's been drinking."

"Just a little. But seriously, how hard would it be?"

"If I weren't busy trying to haul a hundred and eighty-five pounds of best man back indoors, I would have a very dirty response for that."

"Are you still at a strip club?"

"Ooopfh! Gotcha! No, we didn't go to a strip club."

"Then what are you doing?"

"We jumped off a bridge, and now we're eating pancakes. How about you?"

"You did what?"

"Wait, why are you asking about fireman outfits? Did you go see strippers?"

"I'm not at liberty to divulge such information. But I do think that you would be much hotter than the half-dressed man that hit on me earlier this evening. And I'm sure I'd rather have you do the thing he offered to do to me."

"Please tell me you're on your way back to the Inn," he growled. "I can't get the uniform, but you have a damn good imagination and I'm willing to do unspeakable things to you."

Rory gulped. "Meet you in twenty minutes?"

"Deal."


	75. Chapter 75

The dance studio was abuzz with speculation. Nothing was set to begin until five o'clock, but people started showing up a full hour before that to get good seats. All the big players were in front, with the not-so-lucky latecomers settling for standing room only at the back. It was more crowded than the time Taylor had tried to auction off all the street parking spaces in town for a week, in efforts to raise money for re-facing the high school's exterior.

The entire town had been trying to decode the ramblings of Jackson Melville's drug-induced morning stroll through town from the week before. It was a big night—not only had Jackson called this meeting to clear the air, but after that was the wedding rehearsal for the town's golden couple—Will and Anna, who would be married the next day. Everyone was invited to the wedding and pleased with the match from the two families that had long-since been pillars of this small community. Mostly, though, they were having fun guessing and shooting down everyone else's postulations.

"I don't care what you say, Andrew, there is no way that Jackson is opening an exotic male bakery," Gypsy shook her head. "Who would pay to see that?"

"It would certainly fulfill a niche market," Babette shouted. "What? Some ladies like their men a little husky. And who doesn't like a nice cream-filled pastry?"

"I've looked up gay cupcakery in every reference, it doesn't exist," Kirk explained with disappointed frustration.

"Did you try Urban Dictionary?" Bootsy asked. "I had to get on there two months ago to look up Hartford Handgrenade. People do some messed up stuff," he frowned.

"I tried that too. Cupcakery was there, apparently it's a bakery that only serves cupcakes, but it said that gay cupcakery wasn't defined… yet," he said ominously.

"Just cupcakes? Where would you go if you need an erotic cake, for a bachelorette party?" Babette asked. "You can't have an erotic cupcake, can ya? At least, not a very convincing one."

"I know a place," Gypsy assured her.

Jackson walked in the main door, and everyone turned to watch his arrival.

"He's not holding any cupcakes!" Babette exclaimed. "Where are the cupcakes?"

"All right, everyone calm down!" Jackson bellowed. "I am here to give you all an explanation, as spokesperson for my family, but there will be no cupcakes."

"Man, the worst thing to do is to taunt people with cupcakes and then not give them any," Gypsy pouted.

"There will be cupcakes," Jackson amended. "Just not right now."

"Where can we get the cupcakes?" Andrew asked. "And can we eat them even if we're not gay? Because I mean, I liked that cowboy movie and all, but I don't think I want to kiss a dude just for a stupid cupcake."

"I have a recurring dream that I'm kissing my high-school drama teacher," Gypsy admitted. "She wore this bright pink lipstick and had a hair clip that matched it. What do you think that means?"

"Didn't you go through an experimentation period?" Babette asked.

"Are my ears bleeding? Why am I here?" Luke asked finally, not able to take it any longer.

"Because it's a town meeting. We don't miss town meetings," Lorelai reminded him.

"This is just for clarification purposes on issues we're already clear on."

She rolled her eyes. "So? You think I'm going to miss this?"

"Is everyone ready to begin? I have to get back and get my kilt from storage before Sookie finds it and hides it again," Jackson said from the front of the podium.

"And that's the thing he admits openly," Lorelai giggled to Luke.

"You have issues," he said back.

"I want to apologize for my behavior, on behalf of myself and my family. Well, I apologized to my family already, and Sookie agreed that the only way to stop all the wild speculation that I caused was to come here and tell you all what was going on in our lives."

"Is the wedding still on?" Babette asked, her hand over her heart.

"Where else would we be eating cupcakes?" Gypsy asked.

"Sookie wouldn't make cupcakes for a wedding!" came Babette's horrified voice amid many gasps.

"Sookie actually isn't making the wedding cake at all, but there will be cake," Jackson admitted.

"Is Sookie in the hospital?" Babette asked.

"No," Jackson frowned. "Sookie is just choosing to focus on other elements of the wedding."

"But the cake is her thing!" Babette said, still not grasping the idea.

"Okay, if I may," Lorelai stood up and addressed the crowd, "Jackson has news that is way bigger and much more shocking than Sookie not making the kids' wedding cake. Well, somewhat more shocking. The wedding is on as planned, and there will be a full menu and a beautiful cake by a master baker. Jackson," she handed the room back to him.

"Thank you. As I was saying, as the head of my family, I'm here to share some changes to our family, and thus some additions to this town."

"Who is making the cake?" Kirk asked.

"Forget the cake, Kirk," Jackson sighed.

"Did Sookie refuse to do it because you're gay?"

"I'm not gay, Kirk."

"So, it's just the cupcakes?"

"The cupcakes are not gay either, Kirk," Jackson sighed.

"Let the man speak!" Babette yelled. "Go on, Honey. Just be sure to tell us who is gay. We're dying out here."

Jackson grabbed the podium and took a deep breath. "My youngest daughter, Lia, has shared with us that she is a lesbian."

Silence took the crowd for a moment. Lorelai looked around, and then shrugged at Jackson. "I think that shut them up."

"Are you sure you're not gay?" Kirk asked.

Jackson glared at him. "Yes, I'm very sure I'm not gay."

"Not that there's anything wrong with that," Kirk added.

"We're also pleased to announce that Dave and Mallory are expecting their first child next summer," he continued.

"Does that mean you're pleased to announce Lia is a lesbian?" Babette asked.

"We're very proud of all of our kids," he sighed. "Regardless of their choice of lifestyle."

"Don't worry, Jackson. I'm sure she'll make some woman very happy," Bootsy assured him.

"We're happy as long as our children are happy. Now, the last item I have to share with you is regarding Billy," he began.

"Wait!" came a voice from the street. Within a moment, a woman whose blonde hair had been styled back into a sleek chignon took the podium spot from Jackson. "This is no way to introduce a local business. Unless you want it fail, and given the fact that you have no capital sunk into it, I think you should have had the decency to at least tell me you were about to doom my interests to failure."

"Paris?" Lorelai asked, dumbfounded.

"Oh, hello, Lorelai. All right, bring them in!" she shouted, as waiters carrying trays of cupcakes came marching through the main aisles, passing out treats to the crowd.

"No food in the town meeting!" Kirk shouted. "This is specifically against the town bylaws, as outlined by Taylor Doose in the last amendments to the code!"

"Shut it, Kirk! Give me one of those with the pink sprinkles," Babette ordered.

"There are no exceptions for tasty treats!" Kirk shouted. "Wait, there are ones with sprinkles?"

"Those are the Pink Ladies," Paris informed them. "Now, as many of you might have noticed there has been a rather noticeable void in your town—well, more than one noticeable void, I mean, if you want a number of modern conveniences, you have to drive at least a half an hour to a major city, and I can only imagine just trying to locate a movie theater that shows first run shows would probably be a taxing outing," she went on.

Marty, Paris' husband, slid in and sat next to Lorelai and Luke. "Sorry. She overheard Billy and Jane talking about Jackson coming here tonight, and she freaked out and decided that if the town was going to find out about our venture before the grand opening, she was going to make a presentation or pull out and find another renter."

"I'm actually surprised she's as low-key as she is. You must have worked very hard to mellow Paris this much over the years."

Marty smiled. "I slipped a Prozac into her food before we came over," he nodded.

"Wow. Paris is back in our lives. It doesn't seem real," Lorelai blinked, watching her go on and on about choice and the egalitarian society, to a crowd of slightly confused townspeople who were shoving cake into their mouths. It would be quite some time before she managed to explain Billy's connection to the cupcakery.

"Cupcakes for the masses, I say!" Paris finally concluded, and Luke looked to Lorelai.

"She's calling us commoners, isn't she?"

Lorelai nodded. "Oh yeah."

"Excuse me. I'm going to go try to do my best to explain the situation using more two syllable words and fewer references to the bourgeois and working class," Marty said as he scooted out of the seats and moved to his wife, who didn't understand the glares being shot her way. He whispered in her ear, and she frowned. "What? I gave them free cupcakes first. The middle class is supposed to eat out of your hand when you give them free dessert!"

XXXX

Rory looked out the window as the scenery changed. Her hand was firmly interlaced with her husband's as he drove them out of Stars Hollow, out of the county, then finally out of Connecticut altogether.

"I don't want you to take this as my not trusting you," she began at last, "but I'm pretty sure we're going to be more than a little late for the rehearsal."

Tristan smiled. "It's not your wedding, and you've been to enough to know what to expect. We'll be back before the ceremony starts."

She raised an eyebrow. "It is my little brother's wedding."

"He's already married."

She smiled. "I guess it won't hurt for us to get a little alone time together… wherever we're off to."

"I told you, it's a surprise. And admit it, you love my surprises."

She couldn't help but smile wider. "I have been known to appreciate the ways in which you choose to express yourself."

"I just realized that perhaps you did have some reason for being so upset with me, about the whole house thing. I thought it might be a good idea for us to head over, check the place out, and make sure it was still what we were looking for. Because we can always put it on the market and start fresh," he admitted.

"Wait. We're heading to the White Plains house?" she asked.

He nodded. "Thought we'd spend the night in our old room. I had a bed delivered earlier," he added.

"You're really serious about moving back up here, aren't you?" she asked, her eyes wide.

He squeezed her hand. "Rory, I appreciate you agreeing to uproot our entire lives and relocate down to North Carolina with me. At the time, I really believed that the job was worth it. I would have regretted it if I hadn't taken that opportunity, but after being in the position for a while, I know I can handle it, but it's not worth keeping our family down there. You're not happy, and I can get another position. I've proved my ability to run my own team, and they'll just have to give me something more local."

"So, this isn't just about your mom needing us closer?" she asked.

"Mom's going to be fine. Dad dying really made me see that it's one thing for me to pursue my career, but I still have a family that needs me. Ella's in college, but she doesn't like us being so far away. Jake's still with us, and he still needs me to show him how to be a man, and then there's you," he smiled as he pulled into their old driveway.

"What about me?" she asked with a smile. She was excited to see their old house, standing as tall and lovely as it always had, but she couldn't take her eyes off of him at the moment.

"You have needs too," he alluded; reaching out to stroke her face as he'd put the car in park.

"I still need you," she admitted. "I've always needed you."

He leaned in and kissed her, leaning across the console as he ran his hands up her neck and into her hair. She tugged at his the bottom of his shirt, and he eased his legs over to share her foot space, leaning his weight over hers in her seat. She leaned the seat back to its full reclining state, and they spent a few moments in that position, like teenagers who were making the most of the last ten minutes before curfew.

"You said there was a bed inside?" she managed as he dipped his head down to her neck, testing the limits of her shirt's neckline as he wound his way down her body. His hands grazed over fabric in a way that his mouth was aching to go, and she knew that the car, despite being a luxury model, was too confining for what was to come.

"I finally sprung for the king," he said before tugging on her earlobe gently with his teeth, sending anticipatory shockwaves down her spine. "I know you like being close to me, but I think we could use the space to get a little," he smiled impishly, "well, some space to move around a little."

Her breath caught. "King-sized bed?"

"Should we go break it in?"

She kissed him passionately and then smiled. "It's good to be home."

XXXX

Will stood at the end of the aisle with his father at his side. Dave was sitting on the front pew. All the women were gathered just on the other side of the main doors of the church, along with Jackson, who had arrived from the meeting looking ten years older than he had earlier in the day.

"Is it normal to be nervous?" Will asked.

"Maybe if you aren't already married," Dave mused.

"You're nervous? You just jumped off a bridge, and standing in a church is bothering you?" Luke inquired.

Jess came up from the back, in dark jeans and a buttoned-up shirt, which was as formal as any of the men had agreed to dress for the occasion. "Women are nuts."

"Thank you, Captain Obvious," Luke muttered.

"There're back there freaking out about the speed at which they're supposed to walk down the aisle."

"Can't they just walk normally?" Luke suggested.

"I mentioned that. They were not happy with me at all," Jess blinked. "Hey, where is Tristan?"

"He said he and Rory had some business to take care of," Will shrugged. "They'll be back for the wedding."

"Man, I should have pulled some baby excuse and gotten out of this," Jess muttered, sitting next to Dave.

"I'm always impressed they allow you in a church," Luke mocked his nephew.

"Shouldn't you be practicing your vows?" Jess shot back.

He eyed his son. "Apparently I have to watch the flight risk."

"Come on, you can't freak out now. You're already married, it's too late to change your mind about the wedding," Jess informed his cousin.

"I'm not freaking out. It just feel… nervous."

"You just jumped off a bridge," Jess reminded.

"I reminded him of that," Luke assured him.

"It's just," Will began, "we're married, then she'll be done with school, and we'll get real jobs, then buy a house, and start having kids," he moved to sit next to his cousin and best friend. "It's all going so quickly."

"Hey, be glad it's all happening in that order," Dave suggested. "Some of us are having kids and are hoping to not have to make their living room the baby's room."

"Or are having a kid after their oldest is about to go to college," Jess added.

"Or found out that twenty years after they had the kid, they weren't really married," Luke finished. "Point is, life is random and, if living in this town has taught us anything, completely off-the-rails crazy. Be glad you two are happy together. Everything else you get through together."

Will looked at his dad and breathed a little easier. He stood up in his rightful place, at the head of the aisle, where he would greet his bride. "Thanks. I needed that."

"Yeah, besides, you should enjoy your wedding day. You dress up, people give you money, and you get to eat cake. It's pretty much all downhill from there," Jess added.

Will's face paled a bit, looking to his dad yet again.

Luke shook his head and muttered under his breath at his nephew. "I will continue to advise, never listen to your cousin. Marriage is just a natural part of life. Well, okay, it's a governmental institution built to maintain the status quo and an attempt at trying to fend off chaos in a society where left to themselves, people would just do whatever the hell they wanted if they didn't have to answer to authority figures or be accountable to anyone else," he ranted, then looked at his son, who along with Dave looked downright shell shocked. Jess smirked. Luke cleared his throat, suddenly very aware of how many ways Lorelai would string him up and hurt him if he scared his son out of the ceremony. "I mean, marriage is completely natural."

"Hey, shouldn't the minister be here by now?" Jess asked, trying to deflect the conversation for his uncle.

"He WHAT?" came Anna's voice from back where she was 'waiting' to be escorted up the aisle by her father. The men shared startled glances, and then Dave stood up.

"I'll go. Hang on," he jogged back and out the front doors. There was the sound of conversation, some of it loud, some not able to carry through the church. Dave came back, at a hurried, focused pace. He stopped in front of Will and took a deep breath. "Okay. There is no need to panic. Trust me, that is being covered out there," he pointed to where the girls were still gathered, segregated from all the men outside of Jackson. "I'm going tell you what's going on and then we're just going to calmly come up with a solution. Just remember, it's just a technicality. You are already married."

"What's wrong?" Will demanded.

"The minister has food poisoning," Dave informed him.

"Wait. We don't have a minister?" Will's eyes widened. "We need a minister."

"You're already married," Dave reiterated.

"Yes, we are, but they are not," he pointed to his dad.

"Oh. Right."

"Where are we going to find another minister to come here tomorrow on such short notice?"

"Technically it doesn't have to be a minister. You can get a judge or a captain," Jess suggested.

"Do you happen to know either?" Will asked.

"Can't anyone go on the internet and get ordained for a fee?" Luke suggested. "Surely someone in town would have done that."

"Why would anyone here have gotten ordained online?" Will asked.

Luke shrugged. "It sounds like an insane thing to do to me, which generally means someone in town has already thought about it and then shortly after gone ahead and done it."

"The man has a point," Jess supported.

Will took a deep breath. "Okay. So, we go out and try to find someone who is ordained."

"I'll have Lorelai talk to Babette, we'll have someone in no time," Luke assured his son, who was more upset about this than Luke seemed to be. "If that's what you want."

"Don't you want to be married to Mom?" Will reposed the question.

Luke nodded. "I'm okay if we have to have anyone stand up and pretend to pull off this day for you guys. Your mom and I, we can just run over to the courthouse in Hartford one day and get it taken care of."

Will nodded. "Let's just see if someone is available. I want you guys to be able to forget about all this and just go back to everything being normal. Well, as normal as it gets around here."

Luke nodded and went off to find Lorelai. Jess patted his cousin on the back. "They say the more things that go wrong on your wedding day, the longer the marriage."

"Do you think that's true?"

Jess shrugged. "I have no idea. My first wedding was filled with insanity, my second was as low-key as it comes. I can tell you I much preferred the second, though hindsight is probably quite a deciding factor. Marriage is what you make of it. Your folks will sort this out. In the meantime, let's go find the girls and make sure your bride is holding up okay. That's the stuff that she'll remember—not what all went wrong, but the two of you together."

"I had no idea you were such a fountain of knowledge on the subject of relationships," Will looked at his cousin in surprise.

"Yeah, well, you know that saying, you can't live with them, you can't live without them? Turns out, it's pretty damn true, so it's all about figuring out how to make sure they choose the option where you're living with them."

"Now that's some good advice," Will nodded, and they went off in search of the girls to lend support and try to get things back on track.

XXXX

Rory stretched out across the bed, her head on her husband's chest. It seemed a vast expanse of empty space, the areas on either sides of them, as they came together in the middle. Though, his theory about them being able to put the extra area to space during non-sleep activities was definitely panning out. It had been many, many years since they'd been alone in that house—there had been the occasional weekend where both kids were off to sleepovers with friends or grandparents, but to be the sole inhabitants of the house, with only the bed and a refrigerator in the house other than the fixtures, it made her feel like they were in their twenties again, before the kids had arrived, and they were free and unencumbered. Truth be told, he often made her feel like that. She never felt her true age, and he was solely responsible. He still looked at her like he did when they first shared interested glances at one another over cups of coffee and exploratory kisses in what each hoped would lead to more. It led to so much more, and here they were, resting after proving that they only got better with time.

"Are you asleep?" she whispered. She felt his lips kiss the top of her head in answer.

"Is the bed comfortable?" he asked.

She propped her arm up under her chin, her hand lying open over his ribs. Her eyes were shining in the moonlight that was streaming in through the curtain-less windows. "I think it's a keeper."

"The bed or the house?"

She smiled. "Both."

He nodded and closed his eyes. "Good."

"Tristan?"

"Mmm?"

"I love you."

He kissed her head again. "I love you too."

She smiled and curled back into him, closing her eyes and enjoying the moments as she felt his even breathing allowing his chest to softly rise and fall under her cheek and warmed herself against his body before she succumbed to sleep.

XXXX

Lorelai approached her son and slipped an arm around her daughter-in-law's shoulders. Luke was watching her expectantly, and the rest of the wedding party wondered if she knew of a solution after talking to Babette on the phone.

"Well?" Jackson inquired.

"Apparently there is someone in town who is available to perform the ceremony," she began.

"Great!" Will nodded. "Let's get them over here. Who is it?"

Lorelai caught Luke's eyes. "It's Kirk."

Luke shook his head. "No."

"Luke," Lorelai started.

"No! That little weasel is the reason we're not married, Lorelai. No way is he going to be the one to marry my kid off, ceremoniously or otherwise, and I don't want him involved in our marriage, either," he gruffed.

"Luke, we don't have a lot of options. Unless you want to wait," she offered.

He blew out a breath. "It would be better than having his signature on our marriage certificate," he argued.

"It's just a piece of paper," she tossed back. "It's not like he's going to move in with us again," she said, referring to the times he'd crashed in her garage in the past.

"I just hate having him around," Luke admitted.

"Then we're going to have to move. I hear Hawaii is lovely," she offered. "Though you'd have to add Spam to your menu."

Luke sighed and looked at Will. "What do you think?"

"I think I'd like to take his knees out with a stick, but maybe if he's involved we can at least keep an eye on him."

"Keep your friends close and your enemies closer?" Anna asked.

Will nodded. "I mean, I'm not too happy with him after all that happened with Mom and Dad, but this is Stars Hollow, and if I've learned anything from living here, other than there's no better way to celebrate made-up holidays than by throwing a carnival, is that Kirk will be involved in every possible facet of this town, whether it's called for or not. So, if we give him a role, at least we know he won't show up in some other capacity."

"Fine. Kirk can marry us. But I don't like it," Luke agreed with no small level of mistrust.

"Good. Because I already told Babette to go over and send him over here," Lorelai admitted.

"I don't know why you even bother asking my opinion on things," Luke shook his head.

"Because you're adorable when you argue with me," she smiled brilliantly. "Besides, you can give him the evil eye during the ceremony. It'll make him nervous and he might lapse into quoting the marriage ceremony scene from _The Princess Bride _or something," she mused.

"I'm going to get some air," Luke shook his head as he started for a short stroll around the block.

"Oh, come on, Luke! Wait," she took off after him, "Mar-rwaaage, is what bwings us tooogetha today!" she quoted as she went after him.

Will looked to Anna. "Welcome to the family."

She smiled and hugged him. "It's going to be fine. Besides, what else can go wrong now?"

"Uh, you guys?" Billy said as a large truck came rumbling slowly down the street toward the center of town. It parked across the square, and a thin man with a scruffy beard sitting behind the wheel rolled his window down and leaned out a little.

"Who is that?" Anna asked, squinting to see.

"Hey, is this where the Melville/Danes wedding is going to be held?" asked the driver of the giant white truck.

Jackson jogged across the street. "We're setting up in an hour or so. Can I help you?"

"Is Sookie St. James here? I have the cake."

Jackson frowned. "The wedding cake? You guys aren't supposed to be here until tomorrow."

There was banging from the back of the truck, and both the driver and Jackson moved to the back of the vehicle as the driver popped the latch and rolled the door up to reveal what looked like a million pieces of miniature models, a stout man who also needed a shave, and a giant cake that resembled a replica of their town, in two huge segments. Tools and tubs of icing were also stacked along one side of the truck.

"We're going to need Sookie and a weather-controlled tent," said the man in the back.

"Is that Duff and Geoff?" Billy blinked.

"OH, Mom is going to kill him," Anna said.

XXXX

Grey came into his sister's room, holding two cups of to-go coffee. She'd had a little too much fun with Ella the night before, and had chosen to leave her bed that day only when her throbbing headache was gone and she was left with only the good memories of half-dressed firemen strutting through the brain cells that remained. Thanks to the aspirin, giant burrito, and the gallon of water Pax had brought by earlier in the day, she was on her way to achieving her goal.

Grey sat on the edge of her bed, and she flipped down the covers to reveal her head and open one eye at him. She held out one hand for the cup, which he handed over deftly. She sniffed the contents, smiled, and took a drink.

"That's good."

"As good as naked firemen?" he inquired.

"Better. Well, at the moment."

"I need to talk to you."

She rested back against her pillows and took another sip. "Okay."

"Ella called me last night."

"I figured as much."

He raised an eyebrow. "Did she say something to you?"

She shook her head. "She didn't have to."

"All right, enough with the vague answers. You're as bad as she is," he groaned. "See, this is why I try to steer clear of getting involved with girls. You people make things that should be simple so damn complicated, and then get mad at us for not understanding you!"

"Whoa, geez, calm down! No one's mad at you, and you have to admit, this is a bit complicated," she offered.

"It's not complicated. Ella is dating Jasper. End of story."

Rosa put her coffee on her bedside table and leaned her head to one side sympathetically. "Except they aren't officially exclusive, heck, they haven't officially been dating recently. And the other not-so-small fact that you like her."

He sat up straighter. "I never said that."

She smiled. "I'm your twin sister. Do you really want to go there with me?"

He rolled his eyes. "It doesn't matter."

"Would it matter if she liked you back?"

"I just can't get a handle on her. One minute she's with my best friend, the next she's calling me up from bachelorette parties and getting me to admit she's hot," he shook his head.

"Wow, you are smitten," she giggled.

"Shut up," he furrowed his brow at her.

"Sorry. But admit it, to me at least—you do like her."

He took a breath, and opened his mouth, then paused. "Wait. Is she here?"

Rosa shook her head. "She's staying in Stars Hollow this weekend, for her uncle's wedding."

"I can't like her, Rose! Besides the fact that Jasper thinks she's the perfect girl, I don't do commitments. I'm not looking for a girlfriend. I'm in college, which is the best place in the entire world to play the field while keeping all my options open. I don't want to get tied down to a certain path yet."

"Uh-huh. How's that working out for you?"

He groaned and leaned forward to bury his head in her pillow. She patted his back soothingly.

"Sorry, Grey."

He turned his head to look up at his sister. "I've never met anyone like her. She's smart, and funny, and I never understand where she's coming from until I'm there, and then she just leaves me and I'm just left discombobulated, and then," he closed his eyes. "Damn."

"Oh yeah. You've got it real bad."

"Maybe if I took a semester abroad. Or I could backpack around Europe, like I always said I would."

"So, the first girl that challenges you, you're just going to run away from her?" she posed.

He sighed and put an arm under his dark-haired head. "It seems my only option, besides," he trailed off.

"Besides what?"

"Risking pissing off my best friend for a girl that I don't want to lose."

"You need to talk to Jasper. And Ella. Though I appreciate you finally admitting it, to both me and yourself."

He sighed. "I don't know how this happened. That girl is like kryptonite."

"And you are a super-hero geek," she chided him good-naturedly. "Seriously, though if you want my honest opinion, I think it's best to be honest with everyone involved. They aren't exclusive, and you can't run away."

"I just feel like a heel, talking to her without him knowing. But I have to know what she's thinking, for sure, before he finds out about this. He's going to kill me, especially since he just went through all this with Pax."

"Jasper can't argue with it if Ella would rather be with you. He likes her, he went through all that effort to distract her and get her attention, but at the same time, he spent all that time and energy and they aren't even dating yet," she pointed out.

"What are you saying?" he asked, not wanting to beat around the bush.

"I'm saying, if you want her? Go get her. Just don't pussyfoot around. Be a man. Get your girl!" she got excited. "Ow, my head," she whined and put her hands on each side of her temples.

Grey sat up and considered her words. "See? Girls are just strange," he said as he finished his coffee and threw it in her trash can on his way to her door.

"Wait! Where are you going?" she threw back the covers and attempted to get up quickly, despite her still painful head.

He paused and looked at his sister. "You're strange, but you give decent advice. I'm done pussyfooting around. Or, whatever the normal way to say it is."

And then he was gone, and she sat back down on her bed. "I feel like I should warn someone. Nah," she said as she crawled back under the covers until Pax would no doubt come to check on her and bring her more hangover remedies.


	76. Chapter 76

Sookie was standing in the street, still in her chef's jacket, which was slightly singed and dotted with sauces and other tidbits of the food she had been cranking out to get ready for the next day. She stared into the back of the truck and tried to find words.

"So, where are we on that tent?" Duff asked.

"I'm going to murder you," she finally said, shaking her head. "We can't get a temperature-controlled tent on no notice! We're getting tables and chairs delivered in a half an hour, and then after the rehearsal dinner, which you're making me run behind on, we're all going to stay to decorate before getting a teensy bit of rest before we get up and try to WATCH MY DAUGHTER GET MARRIED!" she yelled at him.

He sighed. "Look, Sookie, you wanted me to make your cake. You told me you needed a favor. You told me it had to be the best cake I'd ever made. You threatened me and several of my family members. Well, this is going to be the best cake I've ever made—it's going to have to-scale aerial fireworks shooting over the tiny miniature gazebo as the bride and groom kiss, but I couldn't assemble it all in Baltimore and get it here without it getting destroyed. Geoff and I can get it together, but we need a place, preferably a place where we won't have to move it far once we're finished, to do all the finishing touches."

Sookie's hands went up to her face. She knew how long his 'finishing touches' took. She nearly failed her pastry course because while working with him as a partner, they nearly didn't get their piece done in time thanks to his finishing touches. "How much longer do you need to work to get this done?"

Duff looked at all the parts he'd brought with him. "Let's say, ten hours?"

Geoff nodded calmly, as if that were as logical and realistic assessment he'd ever heard.

"I'm gonna KILL YOU!" Sookie lunged for him, but Luke and Jackson held her off.

"Mom, Mom, calm down," Anna said. "Can't we just get a big awning, so he's got a covered space? I mean, it's not hot or too cold out, so it's not like they'll be working against the elements out here. Doesn't Andrew put that huge tent up every summer for his outdoor book sale? I bet we can borrow that," she suggested.

Duff pointed to Anna. "I like her. She's yours?"

"She's. The. Bride!" Sookie said, still wanting to hurt him.

"Hey, congratulations. If you have half of your mom's skill and this clear a head for solving problems, you call me if you ever need a job," Duff smiled.

Anna blushed. "Oh, um, thanks."

"No, you are not working for him," Sookie nixed the idea.

"I'll go knock on Andrew's door," Billy offered. "Come on, you can help me carry the tent," he said, grabbing his sister's arm.

"Because I'm a butch lesbian now?" Lia grumbled after him as they walked off.

"I would have thought she'd be the, you know, girl," Jackson said, confused, to his wife.

"Honey, now is not the time to discuss how feminine our lesbian daughter is," Sookie snapped, turning back to Duff. "Seriously, do you pull this crap with all your clients?"

"Client? Come on, we're old friends. Or at least, the fact that I'm not getting paid would lead me to believe I'm doing a favor for an old friend," he stressed.

"Hey, who saved your butt during the final exam in breads? If it wasn't for me, you would have not only failed, but burned down half the school! Ugh, fine! But I can't stay here all night helping you. I will help you maneuver and set up, but then I have to finish the rest of the food. Understood?"

Duff smiled. "Sure. Just get me those tables and a tent, and we'll do the bulk of the work."

Sookie turned to Jackson. "Do you have any of that Xanax left?"

XXXX

Jess sat down at the table, ready to finally eat after so many wrinkles had been ironed out of the wedding proceedings. Kirk was in place to officiate after being appropriately threatened by Luke, Duff and Geoff were constructing the cake in the town square, which was mostly ready to decorate for the reception, and they'd run through the ceremony proceedings twice so everyone knew the order of events. Now they were just going to do a few quick toasts and scarfing down the food Sookie had been prepping when she got pulled away, but luckily her staff had been on hand to finish.

Ambrose looked up at his father and pushed his plate back.

"Don't tell me it's not good," Jess said as he joined his son.

"It's fine. For the most part. Some of the stuff I don't recognize looks," he paused to choose the right word.

"Just shove it to the side. The stuff underneath is always good," Jess assured him. "So, are we going to discuss you not going to NYU next year?"

Ambrose sighed. "I was hoping you would just let that slide, especially with Jules being the bigger troublemaker lately."

Jess snorted. "Your sister isn't capable of being a bigger troublemaker than you. I seriously considered naming you something akin to Danger or Trouble, just because I figured I'd give myself the constant reminder."

"Hah. Thanks for the confidence."

Jess put his fork down. "What's up, Am?"

"It's nothing. I just thought," he began. "It made sense at the time, but when I put the words together in my head, it sounds pedantic and stupid."

"I've been fairly warned. Go on," he pushed.

"Fine. When I initially started the process to do early admission, I thought that maybe it would be a motivating factor in a potential relationship."

Jess frowned. "You did this for a girl?"

"Not entirely," Ambrose defended.

"What have I always told you?" Jess demanded.

"Not to do anything solely for the purpose of impressing the opposite sex," he repeated. "But, Dad, I really thought this out. And it wasn't just for her," he began.

"Wait. Is this because of the college girl that stayed with us—Ella's roommate?" Jess realized.

Ambrose shrugged. "It doesn't matter who it was. She's not into me anyway. I thought she could be, but apparently she was busy at college, falling in love with her soul mate or something."

Jess tried not to laugh at his son. "I'm sorry, it just… this does not sound like you."

"I liked her, okay? Can we drop this now?"

"Sure, sure. So, since she's not available, you're not ready to start college? That makes no sense whatsoever."

"I got a little freaked out. And I'm not entirely sure what I want to major in, so I figured if I took a year off and worked, maybe I'd get some perspective. Maybe rack up less student loan debt."

Jess nodded. "Look, I can't lecture you too much. You got into a great school, I'm not thrilled that you did all this for a girl, but at least you were working toward a good education. You know I didn't go to school right out of high school. It's not a requirement for me, so if you want to work for a year, then do it. As long as you won't lose the space that you really want at a school you want to be at. I just want you to have options open."

Ambrose nodded. "Thanks. And you won't tell anyone, why, I mean?"

Jess shrugged. "Just Gwen. That way, if I die first, she can continue the deserved mocking in my honor."

"Great. I'm so glad you two found each other."

Jess smirked. "Isn't it great?"

XXXX

Jake knocked on the door to the room where his mother grew up. Ella opened the door and looked at him. "Yeah?"

"Not to tear you away from your texting," he smirked, "but is there an extra blanket in here?"

Ella nodded and allowed him entrance to the room, tossing her phone on the bed. "I haven't been on there all night," she tried.

"Please. You might as well get a chip implanted in your skull, then you could just hear all the conversations in your head and skip having to carry around the phone."

"I think they call that mental illness," she frowned.

"You don't say. Who are you talking to anyway, the Aussie-American?" he teased.

"It's none of your business," she pulled rank on her younger brother. "What is this I hear about you buying condoms, little brother?"

He shrugged. "None of your business."

"Who did they enlist to talk to you?" she pressed, knowing her parents far too well.

"Uncle Jess. It was… interesting to say the least."

She eyed him. "Interesting how?"

He shook his head. "I'm not at liberty to repeat many parts of our conversation."

"Fine. Be that way. Have fun on the couch," she said as she handed him an extra pillow to add to the blanket he obtained as well.

"It's not fair you always get Mom's old room."

"I'm clearly the favorite grandchild."

"Whatever. I'm beat. Some of us actually did manual labor tonight," he said, referring to his having helped for two hours, setting up chairs, tables, and lighting for the reception, while she mainly sat back, texted, and chatted with the women, two of which weren't even allowed to help due to pregnancy and over-protective husbands.

She shook her head as her brother exited the bedroom. She sat down, checked her phone one more time, and got under the covers. She turned out the light and bit her lip. She had been fielding text messages from Jasper all evening, and while she'd been glad to get them, and responded to his comments, she found herself still wondering exactly what she was doing with Greyson and resisting the urge to find out what he was up to. True, nothing had occurred between them, but every time she talked to him or saw him, she felt like something was on the verge of happening. She was tired of asking for advice—while the adults in her life, and even her roommate, gave good advice, she felt like whatever was happening was something she needed to explore on her own.

The only thing she was really sure of was that she needed to explore it soon, so as not to hurt Jasper. He hadn't officially asked her out again yet—but she knew he was working his way up to it, making sure he was back in her good graces first. She couldn't blame him for moving a little slowly—their history had been strange to say the least. But he was a great guy, and thus, she found herself torn.

A small tap at her mother's old bedroom window startled her. She sat up and peered out, but didn't see anything from her vantage point on the bed. Another tap caused her to get up, move to the window, and open it. There, just on the other side of the bushes, was Greyson.

She wrapped her arms across her chest. "Hi?"

He frowned. "Is that a question?"

"No, just," she shook her head, "how did you find me here?"

He stood there, looking quizzically at her. "I drove to Stars Hollow and asked a couple of questions. There were a million people setting up for a wedding in the town square. Did you know Duff Goldman was here?"

She looked at him with earnest. "But, I mean, what are you doing here?"

He suddenly felt very foolish, standing in her grandmother's yard as she looked out at him from inside the house. Like he should be holding a boom box over his head with Peter Gabriel serenading her. If she gave him a pen, he would kill himself. "Can you come out?"

She bit her lip. "Would you rather come in?"

"I don't want to wake anyone," he offered.

"Please. My brother could have a truck run over him and he wouldn't wake up. Grandma and Luke are passed out upstairs. Just get in here," she said, pushing the window up as far as it would go and leaning out to give him a hand. He took hold of her hand, put the other on the window sill, and eased his way into her room. He looked around at the small bedroom, with her bag shoved at the foot of the bed and a dress hanging up over the closet door. He turned his attention back to her, standing there in a tank top and long cotton pajama bottoms with ice cream cones printed all over them.

"So," she prompted, not moving from her position a couple of feet away from him.

"I wanted to talk to you."

She raised an eyebrow. "I kind of assumed that. But there are these things called phones," she said, not sure what exactly was happening. But she knew that there was an uneasy feeling in her stomach, like she might do something that was at once thrilling and potentially not smart.

"I can't get a handle on you over the phone. I needed to see you," he admitted.

She felt her stomach lurch, like the millions of butterflies trapped inside had all shifted at once. "Oh?"

"Something seems to be happening," he frowned. "Something I hadn't anticipated."

She shifted her weight. "Yeah."

"I'm going to need more than one-word answers on your part," he encouraged.

"You haven't asked me a question," she looked up into his grey-green eyes.

He stood a little straighter and stepped closer to her. "Good point. Maybe it's better that I don't," he said at last, and then stepped just a little closer. He bent down just slightly, put his hands at her waist, and kissed her. She snaked her arms up around his neck and kissed him back. She felt the tension that had built between them melt and for a moment she was just lost in the moment. That is, until it ended.

Her phone pinged with a new message, and Grey pulled back, just slightly, from the kiss. She bit her lip, which was still warm and slightly dampened from his kiss.

"Is that?" he asked, with regret in his voice.

"Most likely," she admitted. "Grey," she sighed. As much as she would like to pretend that the only thing going on in the room was this unusual overture that he'd made, she wasn't going to hide from this. She was the one that kept making these messes, and to this group of friends. She'd been lucky that the first round of pitting friends against each other for her affection, though not intentionally, had ended with everyone on speaking terms. And that was when everyone was in the know. Here she was, with Jasper thinking he was the only guy she was interested in while she was kissing his friend in her mother's old bedroom, miles away. She wondered just how one could anticipate or prevent such a turn of events.

"I'm a terrible friend. I didn't come over here for that," he gestured between them. "I mean I just wanted to clear the air, to figure out if anything was going to happen."

"I think it's clear to say that was pretty inevitable at some point," she eased his mind. "It's not like it was unwelcome."

He looked at her and smiled. Then he frowned. "Crap!"

"I know this seems bad," she began.

"Seems bad? He's one of my oldest friends. And he's under the impression that when he asks you out soon, you're going to say yes."

"But he hasn't," she pointed out. "Grey, I'm not Jasper's girlfriend. I'm just a girl that he likes, and despite our interactions, we haven't gotten past this point."

He focused on what she was telling him. "True."

"I can't speak for you, but for a while now, I've been thinking about you. But I assumed you weren't interested, you're always saying you don't want a girlfriend, so," she raised her shoulders up and wrapped her arms back around her torso.

Grey stepped forward again. "I didn't. I never have wanted a girlfriend."

She nodded, resigned. "Right."

"But I am interested. And I know I can't have it both ways."

She looked up, hopeful. "Really?"

"I've never met anyone like you. It was easier at first, to stay away from you, or at least, not to think of you as anything but my sister's roommate or the girl that Pax and Jasper liked, but then, I got to know you. I know I'm not the first in line, but," he smiled at her, suddenly hyperaware of what he was about to say, and how silly it sounded. But he'd promised himself he would be straightforward. "Would you like to go on a date with me?"

She smiled back at him. "Well, I don't have a date for this wedding tomorrow."

"You do now," he said, leaning in to kiss her for the second time.

XXXX

Anna couldn't sleep. It had been a crazy night, and she knew with everything going slightly off track, it was more stressful for her family than for her and Will. Still, she wished she had fought the idea of spending this night apart more. She knew it was 'tradition', but they were married already, and it's not like anything else about their wedding would be truly conventional. She got up out of her old bed in her old bedroom and walked out into the kitchen. Lia was sitting at the kitchen table with a half-eaten cupcake and the remnants of a glass of milk in front of her.

"Hey. Can't sleep?" Lia asked.

Anna shook her head. "No. What about you?"

"I was chatting with Sarah, and then I got hungry. Try one; they're Billy's that Dad brought back from the town meeting."

"Are they really good?" Anna asked, already pouring a small glass of milk for herself and topping off her sister's out of habit.

"I know, it's shocking," Lia admitted. "Who knew Billy had talents?"

Anna shook her head. "I think Mom and Dad just assumed the boys would follow Dad's path and we'd follow Mom's."

"Yeah, well, I did something to shake up their expectations, so I guess Billy suddenly wanting to bake isn't such a huge revelation."

Anna smiled. "Come on, you know Dad's more disappointed that Billy doesn't want to take over the produce business than you not wanting to date boys. In fact, he's probably sleeping better not having to worry about another teenage daughter and boys."

Lia rolled her eyes. "I'm not going to argue with you, but that's sort of a lame reason for them to be okay with my sexuality."

"So, tell me about the girl you like," Anna said with a joking lilt to her voice.

"You really want to know?" Lia asked.

Anna shrugged. "We're sisters. We can talk about this stuff. I mean, why should it be any different talking about who you're dating just because it's a girl instead of a guy?"

Lia smiled. "Thanks, Anna. But shouldn't you get to bed? You are sort of getting married tomorrow."

"Eh, it's not my first wedding," she joked.

A knock came to the back kitchen door. Both girls looked up, and Anna moved to check to see who was there at the late hour. She smiled, unlocked the door, and opened it. "Are you here for a cupcake?"

Will smiled. "I just wanted a kiss. But I'll take a cupcake."

Lia walked over. "Aren't you two supposed to stay away from each other tonight?"

Anna smiled. "He misses me."

"Okay. You two are officially disgusting. I'm going to bed," Lia teased them and stalked off like only a teenager can.

"Girl troubles?" he joked.

"She's fine. She's just feeling the effects of telling our parents, which honestly, she should have known that no matter what she does, they're going to embarrass her somehow."

"It is what our parents do best," Will smiled and pulled her close to him. "You think someday our kids will be complaining about us like this?"

"Probably with Dave and Mal's kid," she mused.

"I cannot believe Dave is going to be a father," he admitted. "Doesn't it seem fast?"

Anna nodded. "I'm glad it wasn't us, I can tell you that," she admitted.

"So, you don't want kids right away?" he asked hesitantly.

"Right away? No. Do you?"

"God no. I mean, eventually, great. But I'd like to save up some money, take some trips," he paused. "Maybe start to feel like a grown up."

"So, pay some taxes and get a mortgage?" she offered.

"I'm glad we're on the same page. I feel better now."

"You were worried? You do realize we are already married, right?"

"Why do people keep asking me that? I was there. But now that the wedding is happening and we don't have to hide what we did," he paused. "It's really sinking in. It's just us, together, forever."

Anna studied his face. His jaw was covered with stubble, a minor detail he'd take care of before getting into his suit. Though the night she'd married him, his face looked more like this. He was the very vision of the man she married. Tomorrow, he'd be the version set for photographers to capture, for friends to celebrate. She smiled at him. "Wasn't that the idea when you proposed?"

He laughed. "Yeah. I think it was the smartest thing I ever did."

"Just keep that in mind. And if you need a reminder, I'll be the one in the white dress tomorrow, walking toward you."

He pouted. "Why does it feel like you're about to kick me out?"

"Goodnight, Will."

"Hey, wait," he said as she pushed him back out the door. "I didn't get my cupcake. Or my kiss."

She motioned for him to wait right there. She moved into the kitchen and returned with a single lemon cupcake, his favorite. He looked down, smiled, and glanced back at her. "And my kiss?"

"I should make you wait."

He flashed a smile at her. "But I'm cute."

She sighed, shook her head helplessly, and gave him a sweet, lingering kiss. Just enough to make him want oh-so-much more. She smiled at him and then shut the door on him and his cupcake. He turned to walk away, taking a bite of his cupcake. "Yep. Smartest thing I ever did."

XXXX

Ella woke up to a knock at her door. She wiped the sleep out of her eyes, as her dreams still lingered, transposing themselves over the actual events of last night. She sat up and called out for whoever was there to enter. Her grandmother opened the door and smiled at her.

"Morning."

"Morning."

"So," Lorelai said, moving in with a cup of coffee and sitting on her bed. "It sounds like you had a visitor last night."

Ella paled. "Um, what?"

"Apparently I'm losing my touch from not living with teenagers in too long, but Babette was apparently eagle-eying it out of habit and came over this morning while I got the paper off the porch to inform me that a young man had climbed in and out of your window last night, at quite a scandalous hour."

"Am I in trouble?" she asked.

"That depends. Anything you'd like to share with Grandma?" Lorelai probed.

Ella sighed. "It was just Greyson."

"And he is?" she asked, needing a little help when it came to all the boys in her granddaughter's life. She'd had enough trouble with all the boys that had been intent on keeping her daughter's interest at that age.

"Rosa's brother."

"And why did Rosa's brother hoof it all the way to Stars Hollow to climb into your window last night?"

Ella took a deep breath in. "I guess he missed me?"

Lorelai shook her head and laughed. "Honey, you are in major trouble. What you do to these poor boys. They probably don't even realize it's happening."

"I know. I know! He wasn't supposed to even see me that way, and then he," she shook her head. "I asked him to the wedding. Is that okay?"

Lorelai laughed. "It's okay with me. Is it okay with you?"

Ella looked at her grandmother. "I think I'm falling for the boy that doesn't want to be caught."

"The good ones never do, Sweetie. Sometimes when things are too easy, things just … fizzle. And Gilmore women, we need a challenge. Something to occupy our very busy minds. We multitask on an Olympic level—we like to have it all, even stuff we can't really have. And if that's not enough, we have to feel like we earned it. It's really a pain in the butt, however it works out in the end."

Ella smiled. "Thanks. Do you need any help getting ready?"

"You my dear can start calling your mother to find out just where she ran off to while I get first dibs in the shower. If I don't beat Jake, there will be no hot water left for my big day. I do vaguely remember what it's like to live with a teenaged boy," she shuddered. "Oh, and tell your mother that she's supposed to give me away, and if she's late all her inheritance money is going to fund an American version of _AbFab_."

Ella wrinkled her nose. "That's sacrilegious," she admonished. "I'm on it."

XXXX

Jasper opened his bedroom door to find Grey waiting for him. His friend was dressed in a suit, an odd choice of dress at this time on a Saturday morning to say the least. He smiled and raised an eyebrow.

"Did I win a bet? Are you going to bring me breakfast in bed and buttle for me?"

"I've told you, it's not a real word just because Tim Curry uses it," Grey smirked. "Though if we could base words on anyone's usage, I would go with Curry. It's probably his accent, but he pulls it off."

Jasper nodded. "We should have a _Clue_ night. No one plays like we do," he added.

"Well, the live action does put it to another level," Grey acknowledged.

"I'm sure Miss Dugrey would be an apt pupil in our ways," Jasper smiled, moving into the main room to grab some water.

"Funny you should mention Ella," Grey took a deep breath. This was it. He'd gone over his tactics in his head before his friend had come to join him, but he just hoped he could make it out of there with their friendship intact. Strained for a while, he was prepared for. If it seemed to be taking a dangerous turn, he reasoned, he could always give up the chance with the girl. His oldest friendships had to come first.

"Am I talking about her too much?" he asked knowingly.

Grey shook his head. "That's not it. I just have a favor to ask you."

"Ask away, my friend," he sat down, taking a big drink.

"It's a really big favor. In fact, it's too much of me to ask, and I know that going in. So I just want you to hear me out. And if you tell me to back off, I will."

Jasper frowned. "What's going on?"

Grey blew out some air. He couldn't exactly abandon ship now. "The thing is, we're pretty much complete opposites in most ways, how we approach life. I've never wanted to be a in a relationship, because I never wanted anything to get in the way of having as many experiences as I could. I never wanted to be the guy that skipped out on an impromptu trip to Guatemala or Fiji just because I had a standing date with a girl."

"You sound like a Beach Boy," Jasper blinked.

"You know what I mean. I'm not against marriage and all that, but it just seemed like something I'd worry about later. Dates aren't something I saw as needing to lead to relationships. No girl has ever made me reconsider my stance on that."

Jasper nodded. "I feel like you're about to propose to me. The suit, the explanation. This is getting weird."

Grey shook his head. "I told you, hear me out. And no offense, dude, but you're not my type."

"Too hairy?"

"Much. I like my women to have a clean, close shave," he joked. "But seriously, you on the other hand, I think you've fallen in and out of love about eighteen times since we were in preschool."

Jasper smiled. "What can I say? I was raised to be a hopeful romantic."

"And you don't let that stop you from living your life to the fullest. You just find a beautiful woman, shower her with your attention, and pull her into your world for a little while, until the fancy passes."

Jasper nodded. "It helps to find girls with a sense of adventure."

"And I can see why you've set your sights on Ella," Grey continued, trying to play this as close to the vest as possible, which seemed an increasingly difficult task. "She's amazing. She's crazy smart, she's beautiful, she loves all the weird, esoteric British comedy that most girls don't get, her Russian accent is so good that it makes her sound like she's fluent even when she's just making up nonsensical words to bullshit someone, she gets that twinkle in her eyes just before she starts laughing, she can't pass trash on the ground without throwing it away, she picks up pennies only if they're heads up, she can fall asleep within an hour of drinking a triple-shot espresso, and I'm pretty sure she caused that car accident out by the quad when she was laying out on the lawn in her bathing suit at the beginning of term."

Jasper blinked. "Wow. That was," he began, but Grey interrupted him.

"She gets into your head and you find yourself calling her just to talk because you have all this stuff you want to hear her opinion on, and you find yourself thinking that maybe if you could kiss her, and I mean really kiss her, you might be able to get her out of your mind long enough to concentrate on planning the next great adventure to some faraway spot, but damn it if you don't just want to see her, no matter if it's next to you backpacking your way through Spain or sitting next to you in the dining hall."

Jasper cleared his throat. "What exactly are you saying?"

Grey steeled himself. "Pick someone else. I know I can't ask you to do this, but I can't think of a better solution. I don't want to make her choose between us, and I can't get her out of my mind. I've never felt like this before, and I'm not discounting your interest in her, but experience leads me to believe that you'll find someone else. I'm not saying she's the only girl in the world for me, but she's the only one so far that has ever made me want to try."

Jasper sat back, speechless. Grey stood before him, shocked at what he had just said. He had inklings, thoughts that were leading to this, but if he hadn't heard himself saying it, he never would have believed it himself. He was sure his friend was shocked as well, not only at the request, but at the change in him.

"Like I said, it's more than a favor. It's too much to ask. I'm not sure I could just walk away from her. But that's sort of the reason I'm asking."

Jasper looked up at his friend. It had never occurred to him that while he was busy winning her affection all this time, Grey had gotten to know her and fallen for her himself. "I mean, it's not a matter of me giving her up. I don't have her. I haven't asked her out yet. I'm not sure after what happened she wants to give this another shot. I mean, we've been talking, but… . You think she's interested in you?"

This was the hardest revelation. "I'm sort of on my way to be her date for her uncle's wedding."

Jasper's eyes widened. "She asked you out?"

"Technically, I asked her. I don't know. The point is, neither of us wanted to upset you. But yeah, I think she wants to give this a shot too."

Jasper stood up. "I … guess that's it, then, isn't it?" he asked, as he shoved some shoes on and left the room. Grey watched him leave and cringed. He hadn't exactly given his blessing, but he needed to leave now to meet Ella. At least he could rest easy that he was no longer doing anything behind his friend's back. The rest, he'd have to deal with later.

XXXX

Sookie came into Lorelai's front door and gasped. "You look beautiful!"

Anna turned and smiled. She was decked out in her wedding dress, ready to head to the church in a little while. The Danes house had become the girl's prep area, and after a quick check in at the town square and the Inn to make sure all the food was going well, Sookie was ready to switch over to mother-of-the-bride mode.

"Thanks, Mom."

"How's it going with the cake?" Lorelai asked, herself dressed in a fancier dress, not to out-do the bride, but to shine as it was also her own wedding day.

Sookie made a face. "Well, as much as I'd like to punch him in the head for pulling a stunt like that, I have to admit, it will be pretty spectacular. They were just doing the last bit when I left, and it's just… perfect. Though nothing compared to my beautiful daughter."

"My son is one lucky guy," Lorelai beamed.

"Stop it, guys, you'll make my makeup run," Anna fanned her face with her hands. "No crying, either of you," she warned.

Lorelai and Sookie exchanged a look. "Who us? We might get a little misty, but nothing embarrassing," Lorelai assured her.

"Uh-huh. That's what you always say. There is always blubbering once you get going."

"Excuse me, we don't blubber! We emote," Sookie defended.

"You bawl! You guys pull everyone in on your crying jags. So, just keep it together today, okay?" Anna asked.

Sookie sniffed. "Fine. I just won't look at you. Hey, where's Rory?"

"Her official word is that she'll be here. But if that husband of hers is involved, and let's face it—he always is, she'll probably be late and still putting herself to rights as they slide into place."

"Grandma, ew," Ella wrinkled her nose as she checked the window.

"What's with her?" Sookie asked.

"She has a hot date," Lorelai nodded. "And apparently a sensitivity to hearing that her parents are still as hot for each other as two teenagers in the back of a car at a drive-in movie."

"Spoken by her grandmother who was at the drive-in last week with Luke," Sookie giggled.

"This? Right here? Is why we eloped," Anna pointed out.

"You people embarrass too easily," Lorelai informed them.

"Dad told the story as a toast at our rehearsal dinner of when Dave and I walked in on you during your 'special adult time' and I told you that I wanted to have special time with Will when I was an adult," Anna pointed out.

"Well, it was a cute story about how long you've loved Will," Sookie tried to defend her husband.

"That involved walking in on my parents naked!" Anna shuddered.

"Hey, at least no one's crying," Lorelai mused. "Sookie, why don't you go up to my room and get dressed? We have to meet the photographer at the church in a half hour."

Sookie nodded and headed upstairs as a sound of a car pulling up got their attention. "Finally, Rory's here," Lorelai exhaled.

"It's not Mom," Ella beamed. "It's for me."

Lorelai looked out the window next to her granddaughter at the young man getting out of the car. "Well, at least this time he will see that our front door works. Go on, we'll see you at the church."

"Okay. Bye, Grandma. You look great, Anna," Ella added as she hurried out the door to meet Grey. Lorelai watched as he caught sight of her, the way he stood a little straighter and the smile that covered his face.

"Love is in the air," she half-sang as she turned away and waited for everyone else to get ready.

XXXX

Rory locked the door behind them and looked up at the house. Tristan was leaning against the car, waiting for her, smiling.

"Mom is going to kill us."

"Eh, her bark is worse than her bite," he shrugged.

"Clearly she's never bitten you."

He laughed. "Well, I have you to protect me. Besides, we won't be late."

"But we won't be early. We'll barely make it for the ceremony."

"That's not late. That's incredibly on time."

"I like to be prompt," she reminded.

"And I like that thing that I did to you last night. As much as I don't enjoy the idea of some hunky fireman hitting on you, I might want to shake his hand. He had a splendid idea."

Rory blushed. "Tristan," she admonished. "We do not have time to go back for another round. Get your mind out of the gutter."

"So, you didn't enjoy yourself?" he posed.

She caught his eyes, and attempted not to smile. She knew it was futile. "That's not what I said. We just need to leave, and I'm positive you can't do that while driving."

He smirked. "So you drive and I'll work my magic."

The thought danced around in her head. "Except I need both feet on the floor to drive. Besides, you nearly ran us off the road the last time we, well," she blushed again. "I can't believe I let you talk me into things."

"Fine. I'll drive," he said as he kissed her and opened her car door. "But we're still doing that again."

A satisfied smile spread over her face. "Well, you know what weddings do to me," she teased.

He grinned back at her as he slid behind the steering wheel and started the car. "I do."


	77. Chapter 77

Ella and Grey walked around the town, having parked his car far enough away that he could make a quick exit if it all got a little too crazy for him later. He'd assured her he was used to overwhelming and slightly insane family gatherings, but she had finally relayed that he had never seen anything quite like this, and if anything she would appreciate having a getaway driver before anyone got punch drunk and started serenading the crowd.

"So, where does one go to kill time when the entire town is shut down for a wedding?" Grey asked, looking around the streets.

"Well, I mean, I didn't grow up here, but the whole town isn't really that big or busy. There's always one place I can go, though, whether it's closed or not. Plus we can check on the guys," she grinned.

"Wait. As in, your dad?" he paused.

She looked at him. "Oh. I didn't think about that. I really didn't mean this to be a meet the family kind of thing. We don't have to go to the diner. There's one other place in town, where I know we can be alone. I mean, if you want," she offered.

He smiled. "Alone could be good. Hey, by the way, you look beautiful."

She blushed. "Come on. It's back this way," she said, taking his hand and leading him toward the little bridge. It took almost no time until the small structure came into view, with the hanging lanterns unlit along the expanse over the water. She moved to sit down on the edge in the middle and patted the wooden slat next to her.

"Come here often?" he asked looking down at her before he sat in the space beside her.

"It's where my family members retire to when the need to escape around here," she nodded.

"It's nice. Quiet. Private," he described, glancing around them.

She smiled. "That it is."

"Did I mention you looked beautiful?" he asked, his eyes now scanning her face.

She nodded. "I believe you mentioned it. How have I not seen you in a suit before?"

He raised an eyebrow. "I don't tend to dress up without provocation. This seemed a worthy cause."

"My uncle's wedding?" she asked, her wide blue eyes sparkling at him.

"You," he offered, leaning in for a kiss. Their first kiss that was free and clear, something they didn't have to feel guilt about. Grey still didn't know what the fall out would be for falling for this girl, but he had to admit it felt damn good for them to be able to admit their feelings. Between his former evocation of being not interested in a relationship despite the situation and her being the girl that apparently everyone was eager to get to know better, neither had been sure this would happen. But sitting there on that bridge, turned in toward each other in their semi-formal attire, it felt worth the confusion.

XXXX

"Where have you been?" Jess asked with irritation as Tristan stood alone behind the counter at Luke's Diner, pouring himself a cup of much needed coffee. His wife had gotten him hooked long ago, though he'd never admit it, and after the night they'd spent, he needed something keep his eyes open. Especially if she was going to keep him as busy as he anticipated at the reception.

"Spending quality time with my wife. Why?" he asked as he took a long sip. Luke hadn't made it—Rory and Lorelai were right, it was discernable, but it was still damn good. He looked up to see Jess's mood was not getting better. "What's wrong?"

"The grooms are missing," Jess said, tossing him a to-go cup. "Come on."

"Wait, missing? They've both technically done this before, and to the same women. Why would they take off?" he asked, putting his coffee in a portable container.

"Great question. But right now we just need to get them back here before the ceremony," Jess said, opening the door. "Give me your keys. I'm driving."

Tristan handed them over. "You know where they might have gone?"

"There's only one place Luke disappears to. Why he'd go now escapes my mind, but it's the only thing I can think of."

"Where is that?" Tristan asked, shutting his door and buckling in as Jess started the car.

"The lake."

XXXX

Jules tried the door to her great-uncle's diner, noting it was locked and no one was milling around. If anyone was upstairs in the apartment, they either couldn't hear her or weren't available to open the door. She pulled out her phone and began to text her brother.

"Hey," Jake Dugrey said, coming up around the corner from the direction of his grandmother's house. "Is it locked?"

"Where are all the guys? I thought this was the man cave or whatever today."

He nodded. "I'm late, I had to wait for all the girls to get out of the shower at Grandma's before I could get in. No one's here?"

She shook her head. "I saw our dads take off in the car at top speed on my way over, and no one's here."

Jake shook his head. "Weird. We could go to Weston's for some coffee and donuts," he offered. "I'm sure someone will be back soon. There's only three hours before the wedding," he reasoned. "My treat."

She shrugged. "I guess I can't turn down free donuts."

They walked across the square, both looking at the giant production that had been assembled there for the giant reception. "This is crazy. I always enjoy coming here, but I'm glad I'm removed from all of this," Jake said.

Jules laughed. "What, you don't want a Stars Hollow wedding?"

"No. I'm also glad that I don't live in a place where everyone knows my business. I get enough of that just from family."

"Well, it's not like you hid the fact you bought condoms. What did you think would happen?"

He shrugged. "I thought I was being prepared."

She eyed him. "I'm not sure you would have made a very good boy scout."

"Probably just a little better than Ambrose," he joked. "Did you make up with your dad?" he asked.

She nodded. "We talked. He is going to let me off my grounding, but I have to take driving lessons with him. You know, the guy that just peeled out of town doing sixty," she smirked.

"Maybe he wants to teach you to drag race," he offered. "It was cool of him, though to lift the grounding."

"Yeah. I can't wait to see Court. He might not recognize me after all this time."

"I'm sure he remembers you. You're not the kind of girl a guy forgets."

She blushed. "Shut up."

He shrugged. "Just an observation."

"So tell me about this girl," she offered. "The one that prompted you to buy condoms."

They'd sat down at a table in the corner at Weston's Bakery, and he took a quick scan. It was filled with locals, more than usual as Luke's was closed for the occasion, but none of their family was inside. "We've been out a few times. She's a cheerleader, but she's really smart. She wants to go to New York for college. But," he shrugged, "Is it fair to do that if I'm just going to leave in a few weeks?"

"First of all, from what I hear, most guys wouldn't ever care about that as long as they were getting laid," she said, taking a drink of her freshly delivered coffee. "Man, it's just not the same."

Jake nodded. "Grandma says the key is the fact that Luke never cleans out his coffee machine, but I think she only says that in hopes it will drive away customers and leave more for her."

Jules nodded. "It doesn't work. Seriously, though, if you really like her and she wants to come to New York in another year anyway, what's stopping you? You can keep in touch this year."

"It just seems like a big step, to go from seeing each other all the time, and then what? Just talking on the phone?"

"Have you asked her, I mean, does she want to?" Jules asked.

He nodded. "We've talked about it. But I haven't told her that we're leaving quite as soon as we are. I honestly had no idea Dad would make the decision to move us so fast, then I thought about trying to stay, but I knew they wouldn't go for it."

"Sounds like you really like her," she offered.

"Yeah. Your dad says I'm overthinking it."

She frowned. "I'm pretty sure he'd never give me that advice."

"Well, you're his kid, and worse, his daughter. He could probably go his whole life thinking you were a nun and die happy."

"I'm not a nun, and have no plans to remain celibate forever."

"So you guys haven't?" he queried.

"Not yet. We've talked about it. We've, I mean, you know. The usual stuff," she blushed.

"Hey, if you don't want to talk about it," he backed off.

"No, it's just, sort of, private I guess. It's between me and him, and I mean, when it comes down to it, that's all there is. No one can tell you when the time is right, except her. I think you just know. And if you are feeling like you need to get prepared, then probably you are doing the right thing."

He smiled. "Thanks. It's good to hear, you know, from someone who isn't making fun of me or telling me not to do it regardless. Or giving me way too graphic of instructions."

"Okay, what did my dad tell you?" she pressed, putting her half-eaten donut down.

He shook his head. "I think it would scar you for life. But your dad… I'm surprised he doesn't have women just following him around. I'll leave it at that."

She frowned. "Ew."

He shook his head. "Seriously. That guy should write a book on the topic. It would sell."

"Fine, I'm scarred. We can stop talking about it. I probably am better off not knowing about my father's weird sex stuff."

"It's not weird. But it's quite involved," he frowned.

"La-la-la-la-la!" she said, putting her fingers in her ears. He tossed a sugar packet at her across the table and she stopped. "Seriously, I get grossed out enough by him and Gwen."

"Hey, Gwen's like, the coolest stepmother ever, if you have to have a stepmother," he pointed out. "Plus, she's hot."

"She is pretty cool. She loves my dad, and she really likes us, and she's easier to talk to sometimes than my own mom. I'm ignoring the hot comment," she rolled her eyes.

He shrugged. "I just call 'em like I see 'em. Don't worry, you're hot too."

Jules stood up and brushed crumbs off her dress. "Okay, let's go before this gets weird. We should get you to the other guys before it gets any later, or they'll send a search party looking for you."

XXXX

Tristan shut the car door and followed Jess through some brush toward what he assumed was a lake. "People come here on purpose?"

Jess looked over his shoulder. "Not an outdoor guy?"

Tristan laughed. "Please. Besides, can you see Rory trying to camp?"

Jess shuddered. "I'm pretty sure that would be a fairly entertaining, if not potentially deadly, reality show."

"Hey, look, you were right," Tristan pointed to two figures on the other side of the lake.

"Try not to sound so surprised. Besides, Luke is nothing if not fairly predictable."

"I don't know. Taking off three hours before your wedding to the middle of nowhere to a small body of water is fairly unpredictable."

Jess shot him a look. "Let's just get them back before the girls realize they're gone."

Tristan grinned. "What, are you afraid of the girls?"

"Do you want to explain to Lorelai why her groom and her son didn't show up to the wedding?" he asked with a straight face.

"Right. Let's get this over with."

XXXX

Grey laughed so hard he nearly fell over, which was impressive as he was already sitting on the ground. Ella reached to right him, laughing more at his reaction than her own story.

"What happened after that?" he asked, laughter still bubbling out of him.

"What could I do? I handed his pants back to him and told him that I didn't need a vacuum cleaner. Then I closed the door."

He shook his head. "Poor guy. It reminds me of the time that Pax was insistent on getting this girl's phone number at a party we were at in boarding school. She went to our sister school, so we dressed up like janitors, snuck into her school, and went around with the laundry service. He showed up at her room, asking for her laundry, thinking he would get her sheets while he asked her out, but she handed him a load of undergarments, and he got all flustered, tripped forward, and landed in the laundry cart. To save his manhood, we pushed him off before she could do anything else, and ran like hell out of there. Unfortunately, he was still in possession of her underwear when we left the grounds."

Ella laughed and held her stomach. "He stole all her underwear?"

He nodded. "There were signs up all over campus, looking for the Brassiere Brigade, but we never got caught."

"You guys have really been through a lot together, haven't you?" she asked, her laughter quelled.

He nodded. "We've known each other all our lives. We're more like brothers than friends."

"I realize it's too late, but I honestly don't want to cause you problems with Jasper. He's a great person, and he's important to you."

"He'll be fine. I mean, I can't see into the future, but I'd like to think that I wouldn't be pursuing this if I didn't believe that. It's either that or, well, let's just say I'm in a lot of trouble otherwise."

She smiled. "I think that was a compliment. Somehow."

"You have no idea," he smiled back and picked up her hand, kissing the back of it. "I feel like I should warn you, I might not be a very good boyfriend, and I'm fairly sure my sister will be giving me a lot of lectures on what I'm doing wrong."

She made a face. "Are you planning on dating other girls?"

He shook his head. "No."

"Making all the plans and never letting me have any input?" she queried.

"No."

"Using me for a good grade in Russian and then dumping me for a girl that can help you next semester in some other class you need a good grade in?"

He laughed. "Maybe…," he teased.

"How do you think you'll be bad at this?"

He shrugged. "I've never had a girlfriend. I don't do Valentine's Day, I might not remember anniversaries, I don't really know the protocol, what's expected of me. I just know I think you're the most interesting woman I've ever met and the thought of you kissing someone else gives me anxiety attacks."

She listened to his admission and pursed her lips, trying to contain her smile. "Well, as my mother's daughter, I will give you much lead time on anniversaries, should we get to one, and also my birthday, which in my family are week-long affairs. I don't really expect anything of you, except to treat me well and just be you. Because believe it or not, that's sort of the whole reason I'm interested. And maybe take me on some spur of the moment trip to some country I've never heard of, if you happen to feel the need to have one of your adventures. I don't like being left behind."

He kissed her. "Do you have your passport?"

XXXX

"Alright, spare me whatever good reason you had for taking off; get in the car and let's go," Jess said as he approached his uncle and cousin.

"What?" Luke asked, looking at him as if he were crazy.

"You do realize that you're getting married soon, right?" Tristan asked.

"Of course we do," Will frowned. "Is something wrong?"

"Well, other than the grooms going missing," Jess reasoned, "things are otherwise on track."

"Wait—you didn't tell the girls we were missing, did you?" Luke asked, irritated.

"Do I look stupid?" Jess asked. "Of course not. I'm here to get you married, not get myself killed."

"We didn't take off," Will reasoned.

"Uh, what do you call this, then?" Tristan asked.

"I just wanted to speak to my son, privately, before he got married. Well, okay, he's already married, but I didn't get the chance before his first wedding," Luke reasoned. "Like I talked to you," he said to Jess.

"Oh. Except you didn't bring me here," Jess frowned.

"I figured you'd attract killer ducks," he teased. "Besides, the bar in Woodbridge isn't open this early."

"I get the feeling this is different than the talk you had with me at the gun range before I married Rory," Tristan raised an eyebrow.

Luke eyed Tristan. "It was either me or Lorelai. Trust me, my version of putting fear into you was way more direct and less terrifying."

Tristan rolled his eyes. "You think she didn't pull me aside and threaten every last fiber of my being if I hurt Rory? Clearly you don't know everything about your wife."

"Okay, well, if you're done playing the heroes, we should get back. We have a wedding to get to," Luke said, mocking the other two men.

"Man, I could have had a nap. Or at least another cup of coffee," Tristan yawned.

"Why are you so tired?" Will asked.

"He was with your sister all night. Do you really want details?" Jess informed him.

"There are no safe questions in this family," Will shuddered.

XXXX

Jackson stood in the door to the church, looking slightly glazed over and instructing people on where to sit. It was an hour and a half before the wedding, but people were turning up early to get the best seats possible. There had been talk of allowing people to camp overnight for seats, or some sort of lottery, but in the end Lorelai had nixed it all from the fear that those in need of a shower filling the crowded space or blood being shed over front-row seats to her son's wedding. It was to be a joyous occasion after all, and so it was mandated that people would do what they always did to these things in town when space was limited—show up at an appropriate time, and try to best everyone else with cunning and speed. And maybe some sharp elbows. He greeted people he'd known for years, garnering some strange looks, but pointing people to sit and thanking them for coming. There was some whispering about if he'd taken another of Sookie's prescribed sleep aids, but so far things were going smoothly.

Sookie came up the steps and smiled at him. "You look so handsome! I just wish I could burn that kilt," she shook her head sadly at her husband's exposed legs.

"Lia's a lesbian," he said to her, his eyes concerned.

"I know, Sweetie. I was there when she told us."

"But, what if people make fun of her? What if they call her names and she can't get married and have kids? What if she really wants to have kids?"

Sookie patted his arm. "Oh, boy. I think these are questions we'll deal with later. Today our other daughter is getting married. Again. Yay!" she shook her fists triumphantly in the air. "Anna. Your oldest daughter? She's marrying Will. Nod if you remember Will."

"And Paris is mean," he said, his thoughts clearly back to the information session they'd had over a week before, and not in the present moment.

"I know, Sweetie. But Lorelai has always assured me that she means well. It's just hard to tell with that stick so far up her butt."

"I'm not sure I'm ready to be a grandfather. What will the kid call me? Grandpa? I've always sort of liked Paw-Paw," he mused.

"Sure, Sweetie. But the baby won't actually be able to talk at all for a while," she cleared her throat. "Especially since it's not born yet. But today is a big day. Your daughter's wedding," she tried again.

"She's marrying a good man. I'm very proud of all our kids."

She smiled. "Me too. Come on, these people can seat themselves. Let's go sit down for a minute, okay?"

He nodded and they headed back to check on the boys, who were waiting in a room off to the main area of the church for the ceremony to start.

XXXX

"Dearly beloved, we are gathered together today to celebrate the coming together of two of our townspeople, who have known each other all their lives and have decided to stay together until they pass on from this world," Kirk began, in a manner befitting not so much a reverend as a used-car salesman.

Will and Anna exchanged looks, standing between Kirk and the crowd of most of the people they'd ever met; those that had watched them grow up and fall in love. He gave a shrug, and they waited for him to continue.

"And when that time comes, after what we can only hope are years spent happily joined in matrimony, from this day forward, one of you shall leave the other with just a shell of a body and memories."

"Are you sure this is a wedding?" Grey whispered to Ella.

She nodded. "Kirk has… problems. He'll get to the point, or Luke will intervene. Are you allowed to swear and threaten in a church?" she whispered back.

He shrugged. "I think that's just frowned upon."

She giggled under her breath, not wanting to catch attention away from the bizarre way Kirk continued to go on.

"When that time comes, I hope that you can find comfort in the way that a well-planned farewell can provide," Kirk continued, which garnered him a loud throat clearing from Luke, whose glare was worthy of murder already.

"Is he really doing what I think he's doing?" Gwen asked Jules, still not quite used to the antics that occurred in this town, despite having heard Jess's recounting of some very strange tales.

"I think he's asking them to prepare to meet their maker," Jake agreed, from Jules' other side.

"I thought marriage only made the groom think about death," Ambrose added, which earned him equally horrified glares from both his sister and his stepmother. "Wrong crowd. Got it."

"There is no easier way to assure your death doesn't become a burden to those you love than with Kirk's Crematory Services," Kirk continued, much to the aghast crowd, which was slowly turning its eyes to Luke—the most likely to erupt into a volcano of anger and rage.

Just as Luke began to turn that familiar shade of red from holding it in and began to step forward either to tell Kirk off or kill him right there under the cross, Will spoke up. "Kirk, if you don't cut it out and get to the part with the 'I do's and 'you may now kiss the bride', I'm gonna hurt you. Probably not in the church, because that would be bad, but soon, and in a way you won't recover from any time in an expedient manner, if at all."

Lorelai beamed at her son, normally less ranty and physically threatening than his father, proud of him. It seemed a passing of the torch. Not that Luke would ever stop threatening Kirk, or being annoyed by him, but now Will would have his own small family to protect from the insane forces that this town attempted to inflict. It was something she'd always appreciated—not necessarily needed—from Luke; his willingness to stand up for her and their family, even before they had a family together. She looked at Anna's face, at the admiration and love that she was focusing toward Will, and she was filled with that familiar feeling—the tears were going to come, no matter what she did now.

"Uh, sure. I guess we can discuss your plans for after the wedding later. But I also offer insurance services, you really don't want to be without life insurance once you're married, you never know when kids will be on their way," he pushed, speaking as quickly as possible.

"Death, Kirk. Not the quick kind, either," Will warned.

"Do you, William Danes, take this woman, Anna Melville, to be your lawfully wedded wife?" he said in a loud tone, cutting from the introductory part of the ceremony to the meat and potatoes.

Will smiled at Anna, after she handed her bouquet over to Mallory. "I do," he nodded.

"And do you, Anna Melville, take this man, ornery as he is, to be your lawfully wedded husband?"

Anna's eyes sparkled. "I definitely do."

"Right. Any objections?" he called out to the crowd.

"Get on with it, Kirk!" Babette shouted from her prime seating in the second row, right behind her life-long neighbor and mother of the groom.

"Fine. Then by the powers vested in me, by 'I wanna officiate dot com' and my PayPal account," he said with a straight face like only Kirk could, "I now pronounce you husband and wife. You can kiss your bride," he announced, to which Will needed no reminder. He lifted her veil, slid his hands on her cheeks, and kissed her sweetly, to cheers and applause from the crowd.

"Hang on, no one leave!" Kirk shouted. "Er, as an added bonus, the groom's parents have decided they would like to also get, I mean, to renew their vows. After many, many years of legally wedded matrimony," he managed.

Will stepped away from his bride, who moved to the matron-of-honor position next to Mallory, and walked his mother up to join his father, who stepped forward from his line of groomsmen.

"Who gives this woman to this man?" Kirk asked.

"Um, I guess I do. Is that allowed?" Will joked.

"Well, he gave me you, so I guess you can hand me back over, now that you're a married man yourself," she sniffed.

"Here comes the blubbering," Anna said, tears welling up in her own eyes.

"No blubbering," Lorelai wiped at her eyes as she stepped up next to Luke. Will stepped back to act as best man as well.

"What can I say about Lorelai and Luke?" Kirk began.

"The less the better, I'd imagine, if his first opening was any indication," Grey said to Ella, causing her to bust out into giggles.

"These two have been a constant reminder that a man can marry above his station, earning the love of a truly remarkable woman even with a wardrobe full of flannel and blue jeans," Kirk mused.

Will leaned in. "Kirk. Vows."

"Aw, crap. Rings!" Kirk slapped his forehead. "We didn't do your rings. Wait. You're wearing rings," he frowned.

"Shoot," Anna bit her lip, feeling her hand. "I knew we were forgetting something."

"It's okay. We forgot to take ours off too," Lorelai assured her. "Kirk, just skip the rings. We just need the vows."

"Not to mention the proper filing of paperwork afterward," Luke gruffed.

"What's going on?" Babette asked. "Do you need rings? I got lots of 'em," she said, beginning to pry rings off of each finger.

"No, no, it's fine. Let's go, Kirk," Luke said in a warning tone, not wanting things to break down at this point.

"Right. Uh, does anyone object? No, that's later."

"No one objects, they're already married!" Gypsy shouted out.

"Well," Kirk began, but saw Luke's face. "Right. Do you take her to be your wedded wife? You know, again?"

Luke smiled at Lorelai. "I do."

"And you're sure you want to marry this guy again?" he asked Lorelai.

"I do," she said, doing her best to ignore Kirk and smiled at Luke.

"Fine. Then I now pronounce you man and wife. You can, hey, I didn't say to kiss her yet!" Kirk pouted as Luke went ahead and pulled Lorelai to him, giving her a kiss. They pulled apart, beaming like they had so many years before, and began to lead the procession out the doors, followed closely by Will and Anna and the rest of the wedding party. The moment they got out the door, Luke grabbed Kirk and got down to the business of signing the marriage license. Once it had all the proper signatures, he patted Kirk on the back.

"Go file this. Now."

"But it's time for the reception! I heard there were going to be fireworks coming out of the cake. I don't want to miss it."

"Then hurry," Luke said, through gritted teeth. "And if anything goes missing, things are going to start going missing from you. Got me?"

Kirk nodded. "Why don't I just go take care of this now?"

"That might be the smartest thing you've ever said. Of course, I'm not sure that's saying much," Luke condescended.

"Hey, do you want me to take care of this or not?" Kirk pouted.

"Kirk, go!" Luke barked, and Kirk took off.

Lorelai came up and rubbed a hand on his back. "Well, you finally did it."

"What, scared Kirk into action?" he offered.

"No, I mean you finally tied this filly down," she laughed, holding up her left hand. "Sure, you put on a ring on it before, but now you're legally bound to me. Now you have the honor of deciding when to turn off the life support."

He shook his head. "How romantic. You know, I could just let Kirk cremate you."

She cringed. "Knowing Kirk, you'd probably end up with Mrs. Stein's poodle's ashes instead of mine."

"Tell you what. How about we put off all the death decisions until after the honeymoon?"

Her eyes glittered. "Wait. You planned a honeymoon?"

He smiled. "Well, we did just get married. I wanted to surprise my new bride."

She kissed him. "I think I'm going to like this being married thing," she said as he wrapped his arms around her and kissed her back.

XXXX

"I don't want to catch the whole town on fire, cake or real," Sookie said, following Duff around.

"I've done this before. Didn't you watch my show?" he asked.

"No, I was sort of busy raising my family and working," she snarked. "This was a bad idea," she shook her head nervously.

Duff stopped doing a final check of the cake and turned to Sookie. "Hey, Sookie, just take a second. Is the cake perfect?"

She nodded. "Yes. It's beautiful," she said, taking in the replica of the town, complete with twinkly lights on the gazebo and the little replicas of Will and Anna holding hands on the steps.

"Then just go over there, with your family, and let me handle the rest. Enjoy the day," he urged.

"Okay. Thanks. I guess I underestimated you, Goldy," she smiled and knocked into his shoulders with hers.

"Thanks, Soupy," he teased her back, yet another holdover from their school days.

She turned and pointed a finger. "Hey, I thought we agreed never to use that name again!" she glared.

"Go. Have a good time. Maybe we don't do this again until my kid's bar mitzvah. After all, you do make the best salmon risotto tarts in the world."

She gave a sigh. "If only I wasn't such a sucker for flattery," she said as she smiled and left him to finish the setup of the fireworks from the cake platform, heading to the giant table for her and the other family of the wedding party to sit.

XXXX

Rory and Tristan stood looking over the gathering crowd, everyone mingling on the lawn and finding their seats at the tables that had been set up. "So, you got that lovin' feeling yet?" he asked, wrapping his arms around her waist from behind.

"I might need some cake first," she mused. "But after that we do have a room at the Dragonfly all reserved. And the kids will be at Mom's," she smiled.

"Wait, who is that with Ella?" he asked, going on high alert at the sight of the man pulling out a chair for Ella to sit on. "And why is he sitting so close to her? Oh, God, he's whispering in her ear. Do you know this guy?"

Rory peered across the way. "He looks familiar. Isn't that her roommate's brother? Is Rosa here too?"

"Uh, if he's here with his sister, he's lost, and he's clearly not going to find her by doing that," he said as he saw him say something that made his daughter laugh and turn in to give him a kiss.

"Honey, calm down. She's a woman now. She makes her own decisions. And she looks happy," she said, turning around to slip her arms around her husband's neck. "You know, how I feel around you."

He smiled at his wife and kissed her before looking back over her head at his daughter, concern instantly back on his face. "But does she have to be that happy?"

Rory laughed. "And yet you're fine with Jake buying condoms."

He rolled his eyes. "That's different."

Rory raised an eyebrow. "How? Face it, Ella has had you wrapped completely around her little finger from the second she was born and you don't like being replaced."

He scowled. "It's just not fair."

She soothed him and ran and hand through his hair. "Poor guy. Come on. Let's go introduce ourselves, and you can glare at him in closer proximity."

He brightened. "And maybe a veiled verbal threat?"

"Trust me, honey, these boys get the message with the 'touch my daughter and I'll cut you' glare."

He blew out a breath. "Fine. But I'm going to give him the firm handshake," he warned her.

"You do what you have to do," she placated him, leading him back into the crowd toward their daughter.

XXXX

Jess stepped up to Gwen, offering a glass of punch. She took it and sniffed it. "Are you sure this stuff isn't spiked?"

"I got a glass before I dumped the vodka into it," he said with a solemn face.

"Since when did you become the town's bad influence?" she inquired.

"Please. Stories about me are legendary. Do you know they put out a petition to have me banned from city limits twice?"

She laughed. "And you have such an honest face."

He smirked. "Liar. Come on, let's dance."

She stood up and took his hand, following him out to the cleared area with a dance floor laid down, amid the couple of dozen dancing pairs that were passing the time between dinner and cake by enjoying the music. He put his hand on her back and she laid her head on his shoulder as they moved to the music that seemed to be floating around through the air in the town square.

"Well, I'm glad that you weren't banned," she said as she looked around at the ethereal lights twinkling from the gazebo and trees and all the people celebrating.

"Oh yeah?" he murmured into her ear. "Why's that?"

"If you weren't allowed in town, we might have never met," she pointed out.

"And I thought being rude to customers in Luke's was never going to get me anywhere," he joked.

"It's a good thing I couldn't afford a GPS back then," she sighed.

"Hey, you found your way in the end," he smiled at her.

"I found exactly what I was looking for," she agreed as he kissed her forehead.

They danced for a few more moments, until there was an announcement that the bride and groom were about to cut the cake. Everyone turned to see Will and Anna standing next to the cake, and Duff, who then set the fireworks off, making a small display shoot up into the air over the cake's tiny gazebo, as larger ones went off from the top of the actual gazebo. The people 'ooh'ed and 'ahh'ed as they took in the magnificent sight.

Will put one arm around Anna as they both held onto the serving knife, ready to slice into the cake.

"It's so perfect, I hate to cut into it," she said, taking one last look at the huge creation.

"That's what pictures are for," he assured her. "You ready for this?"

She nodded and kissed him, causing more 'ooh'ing and 'ahh'ing. And some 'awww'ing. "Let's do this thing," she said as they sliced into the cake and went about the traditional business of smearing frosting all over each other's faces before the rest of the night fell away in a blur of sugar and dancing in a celebration surely not to be matched for a long time to come in this tiny little town.


	78. Epilogue

Final AN: So, this is it—the epilogue to Peer Pressure. It's a slight time jump, to show how all the characters have fared. Thanks to everyone who read and reviewed this and all the other WHW stories. I've loved writing them, with all the show characters and those I created, along with much help from rosie4299. K—I'm sorry you aren't related to Lorelai, but you still fared pretty well, I think. Besides, you have Finn, so what more can you ever really ask for?

"Jack?"

There was no response for a beat, and then a little giggle sounded. Ambrose stopped and turned toward the sound, for effect mostly, as he knew where the little boy was hiding. They'd been doing this for two hours, and there were only so many places to hide.

"Jack Kerouac Mariano? Come out, come out wherever you are," Ambrose tried again, soliciting more giggles and a smile from Lorelai, who was typing on the computer behind the check-in desk.

"Hmmm. I don't see him, and I've looked everywhere. I guess he ran off to join the circus," he announced loudly, provoking yet another round of giggles.

"Did you lose that kid again?" Jules asked, coming in the front door to the Dragonfly Inn, her head cocked at her older brother.

He held a finger to his lips, now creeping closer toward the front desk quietly.

"Hey, Lorelai," Jules said, dropping her bag and moving to hug the woman who had been surveying the game of hide and seek for the last half hour as she tended to business.

"Hey, Sweetie. How was the drive?"

"Not bad. Lia drove; she just dropped me off here first before checking in at home. Is Dad around?"

Lorelai shook her head. "He and Gwen went ahead to help set up the dinner at Luke's."

"Only Ella would want her rehearsal dinner at Luke's," she shook her head with a smile.

"Gotcha!" Ambrose said as he pounced around the back of the reservation desk, where Jack was crammed into a small cubby. The little boy squealed and took off for the stairs.

"Count again!" he yelled as he disappeared.

Ambrose slumped down on the floor against the back wall. "That kid needs medication."

Lorelai laughed. "You were worse," she said knowingly. "I'd say you turned out fine, but apparently a five year old has the ability to best you after a couple of hours."

"I'll go this time," Jules offered, grabbing her bags. "Which room am I in?" she asked.

"Ten. Oh, hey, we need to be at the diner in one hour. Try to wrangle Jack into the clothes Gwen set out in room eight," she called.

"Will do," Jules waved her hand as she disappeared up the stairs.

Lorelai looked down at Ambrose. "Should I just get a sleeping bag for you?"

He rolled his eyes. "Leave me alone. I haven't slept in two days, and the second I showed up here, I was accosted by the Jack Jack Attack," he moaned.

She nudged him with her shoe. "So go upstairs. You can manage a little rest. Why haven't you been sleeping?"

"Work," he sighed. "My boss is sadistic. He has me going in five different directions, none of which he's sure he really needs, and by the time I'm done, I don't know what the hell I was doing, but 36 hours have passed," he yawned.

"Sounds a lot like dealing with Jack," she giggled. "It's just the life of an intern. You'll get promoted before you know it, if they're working you that hard. You might even get your own cubicle," she nodded encouragingly.

"Or I might get told, 'sorry, kid, we have someone with more experience waiting for the opening,'" he grumbled.

"But you love it, right?"

He nodded. "Yeah. It doesn't leave much time for anything else, but it's exciting. Just to be in the building, it's exciting."

She smiled and extended her hand. "Come on, get up. Go to your room, take a nap, and I'll send Jack in to jump on you when it's time to go."

He allowed her to help pull him up and smiled at her. "I never believed all those things Dad told me about you."

She shook her head. "Hey, you're old enough now, if you really want me to tell tales on your Dad from back in the day," she countered.

He yawned. "Maybe later."

She patted his back and watched as he retreated up the staircase. She heard more giggling and small feet scurrying overhead, somewhere on the second floor. There was an extra spring in her step—it'd been a long time since the entire family had convened on Stars Hollow. It was made even better by the fact that her one and only granddaughter (so far) was getting married and had chosen her favorite childhood destination to hold the ceremony.

Lorelai picked up the phone and dialed Luke's. She waited through three rings, and just after the fourth it was snatched from the receiver.

"We're closed," came the gruff voice, the one that still made her smile.

"I have it on good authority you're open for a private party tonight," she corrected.

"Hey. Are you coming over soon?" Luke asked, his tone instantly brightening.

"Soon. Is Rory there yet?"

"No. Hasn't she checked in there yet?"

Lorelai sighed and looked at her watch. "No. She called this morning and said everything was set, and they would be in on time."

"Well, it's not like she's going to miss her own daughter's wedding."

"It's just not like her to be late," she began, but her attention was drawn to a car pulling up to the front of the Inn. "Gotta go. I think that's them."

"Good. See you soon."

"Bye."

Lorelai tossed the phone onto the desk and hurried to the front door to open it. She was beaming as she waited for the car to be turned off and two doors opened.

"The parents of the bride!" she announced.

Rory gave a troubled smile. "Please don't remind me. I'm a wreck."

Lorelai frowned and looked at Tristan. "Why is she a wreck?"

He rolled his eyes. "She's insane. Don't listen to her," he said as he gave his mother-in-law a quick hug on his way to the door.

Rory put one hand on her hip. "I'm not crazy. She's my baby. She's too young to get married," she protested.

"Hah! She's older than you were when you married this one," Lorelai said as she pointed to Tristan.

"Really? After all these years, I'm 'this one'?" he inquired.

"Shh. I'm not talking to you," Lorelai dismissed him playfully.

"You don't need me for this conversation. I'll just put our bags in our room," he said, not so much for their benefit, but just to make his escape.

Lorelai moved to her daughter. Rory shrugged. "Tristan thinks I'm having a mid-life crisis."

"Because you're a little weepy over your daughter getting married?"

"Jake didn't come home last summer. He's living in an apartment near campus and working when he's not in classes," she sighed. "My babies are all gone. It's just us in the house now. Their rooms are practically empty."

"That's what this is about? Your house is devoid of kids? I thought you two would love that!"

Rory frowned. "Why? I miss them!"

"Yes, I know you miss them, but it's you two. I thought you'd be naked 24/7 and reliving your early years."

Rory blushed. "Mom! Ew."

"What? You're the ones always sneaking off and canoodling."

"I know, but I didn't know that's how you thought of us. I don't want my mother to think of us frolicking around naked."

Lorelai frowned. "I wasn't… I didn't mean… so, why aren't you happy again?"

"I'm happy. I mean, we are enjoying our newfound alone time. But when Tristan's at work and I'm home, at night, it's so quiet. I thought I'd get used to it, but I miss Jake watching TV too loud while he did his homework and Ella talking on the phone all hours of the night. It was background noise, it was my life. And now she's getting married, and it's hitting me that she's not going to move back in just to hang out with me."

"That's so dysfunctionally sweet," Lorelai grabbed her daughter and hugged her. "I know I raised you to be codependent," she soothed. "But Ella is marrying a great guy. You like him, right?"

"Yeah. I do."

"Hell, even Tristan loves him."

Rory sighed. "Yeah. He does."

"He even let him into their poker game," Lorelai reminded her.

"Ella and I went out for martinis with Gwen while they all played last time," she nodded. "No, it's not that I mind her getting married to him. It's just her getting married at all. But she's not nervous or unsure in the least. She's actually being the rock in the situation. She keeps reassuring me that I'll still see her and they aren't moving out of the City," she sighed.

"See? You'll still see her. And you won't have to give up your naked time."

"We're really not naked all that much," she frowned.

"Well, maybe that's where you've gone wrong," Lorelai said, steering her daughter toward the Inn.

XXXX

"Slow down!" Ambrose called out nearly a city block ahead of them to his younger brother, who was zooming along at lightning speed.

"Maybe you should speed up," Jules said, mocking him.

"You catch up with him. I dare you," he countered.

"Hey, I got him dressed. In a tie."

"It's a clip on."

"Still. Do you think he wanted to wear a tie?"

Ambrose smiled. "I have imparted some of my wisdom to him. Fine. Paper, rock, scissors for who tackles the munchkin," he said, and the siblings pounded their hands in the air three times before revealing their choice.

"Hah! Yes!" Jules cried in victory, her rock beating his scissors.

"Fine. Jack!" he called, taking off at top speed to catch the kid before he got any further ahead of them. He just caught him just as they rounded the block. He scooped the kid up and hefted him with ease up onto his shoulders.

"What's the first rule of the street?" he inquired.

"No crossing without a grown up," Jack said with a defeated sigh.

"That's right," Ambrose praised him.

"Are you a grown up?" Jack asked his older brother.

"Yeah, are you?" came a voice from off to his side. Ambrose spun to see Rosa Langley, Ella's college roommate and best friend, approaching him with a big smile on her face.

"Cute kid," she said nodding to the child on his shoulders.

"He knows," Ambrose assured her.

"She's pretty," Jack said.

"She knows," Ambrose said in the same tone as before.

Rosa smiled wider. "I'm Rosa."

"I'm Jack," he said, waving from his brother's shoulders. "He's Ambrose," he finished the introductions.

"I remember," she smiled at Ambrose, raising one eyebrow at him.

"So, you're here for the rehearsal?" he asked.

She held up a bag. "Yeah. I made a stop at the ceramic unicorn shop," she admitted. "Don't tell anyone."

He smiled. "I would have pegged you more for a commemorative spoon junkie."

"This is the best place to indulge crazy collection habits."

"You should see Sookie Melville's frog collection," he informed her.

"Frogs, huh?"

He nodded. "Jack here can tell you all about frogs, can't you Jack?"

"I'm not supposed to lick them," he said seriously.

"Good advice. I'll remember not to lick frogs. Can I kiss one?" she asked.

Jack thought. "I wouldn't. But I guess as long as you kept your lips shut, it'd be okay."

"Looking for a prince?" Ambrose inquired.

She shrugged. "It's more of a holdover from my fairy-tale days. I always wanted to see a frog turn into a human, royalty or not."

"I always wanted to see someone spontaneously combust," Ambrose raised an eyebrow.

"What's that?" Jack asked.

"Ask Dad later," he instructed with ease, to which Jack simply nodded.

"So, what's it like to have a little brother?"

"More fun now that I'm not living at home," he smiled.

She laughed. "Yeah. Siblings are much easier to deal with when they have a different address than you."

He reached out to open the door, flipped Jack off his shoulders, and shook his head as Jack bounded over to his father.

"Dad, am I going to spontaneously combust?" he asked, which caused Jess, who was now holding the younger child up on his hip, to frown and immediately look at Ambrose in an accusatory manner.

"See?" Ambrose said to Rosa.

"No, Jack, you are not going to spontaneously combust, no matter how fast you run," Jess assured him. "Why don't you go help Mom in the kitchen? She's in charge of the pickles."

"Yay!" Jack yelled and slid down his father, taking off to find his mother.

"He knows too much already as it is," Jess said in a warning tone and moved to shake his older son's hand. "How was your trip?"

"I was on a bus for three hours thanks to a flat tire, trying to sleep with my jacket over my head, but this woman kept yammering in my ear about her cat's Halloween costume. She had pictures, professionally taken ones. Who are these people, and why do we allow them to roam free?"

Jess smirked. "I was once thrown up on by a mime on the bus."

"Why do you people take buses if this is the end result?" Rosa posed.

Ambrose shrugged. "Beats falling asleep behind the wheel. Or paying insurance on something I only use when my family makes me drive to the country."

"Out of New York City doesn't automatically make it the country," Luke said from behind him, coming out to greet his great-nephew. "It just makes it quieter."

"Too much quiet and I fall asleep standing up," Ambrose joked.

"Then maybe you should work less," Luke advised. "How's the internship?"

"Busy. Frustrating. Awesome."

"Internship?" Rosa inquired.

"Uh, Jess, your other son is attempting to climb my stock shelves, in hope of doing a high dive onto the hamburger buns."

"And this is why I got a vasectomy," Jess muttered as he followed his uncle back, leaving Rosa and Ambrose to talk.

"I'm at CNN, in the News Room, doing pretty much anything they bark at me."

"CNN? That's pretty impressive."

Ambrose shrugged, like it wasn't quite a big deal. "You wouldn't say that if you saw my bank account. Aunt Rory called in a favor to get my resume on the guy's desk, and every day I wonder if she did me a favor or not."

"They can't keep you as an intern forever. At least, not if they're smart."

"Yeah, they'll move me up to fact checker any day," he quipped.

"Then maybe you won't have to take the bus," she laughed.

"From now on, it's the train for me," he promised. "So, what about you?"

"Where am I working?" she clarified.

He nodded. He'd had the absent thought that she'd be at this wedding; after all, she and Ella had remained incredibly close since they shared their dorm room at Yale, separate from her connection to the groom. She was the maid of honor and he heard the occasional fact about her through the familial news tract. He'd be lying if he said he wasn't happy to see her. He'd hoped they would have stayed in better contact on their own, but it was easier this way, to remain pleasant acquaintances, especially given the fact that she was never really his.

"I work at an architecture firm in midtown. I design a lot of beach homes," she explained happily.

"I could use one of those," he mused.

"You can't afford my rates," she wiggled her eyebrows at him.

"That doesn't surprise me," he nodded. "Clearly you're the best there is."

"So. You came up on the bus alone?" she asked, a fact he was happy she was the first to delve into.

"Yeah. You?"

"I drove my car," she avoided.

"Did you have a passenger?"

She smiled. "No. But someone will be joining me later."

He nodded knowingly. "Then I won't save a dance for you at the reception."

"You dance now?" she asked, her interest peaked.

"With certain girls," he teased.

"You could save me a dance. No one's put a ring on this finger yet," she winked at him.

"See, that just gets my hopes up," he said in a softer tone as he moved to help his sister, who was coming out of the kitchen with a huge platter of French fries.

"Who is that supposed to feed? Napoleon's army?" he asked as he helped her slide it onto the counter.

"Hey, Mom and I could finish that alone if we were properly primed," Rory said as she opened the door to the diner, looking around. "Where is everyone?"

"Aunt Rory?" called a small, though loud, voice.

"Where's my Jack?" she called back.

"Right here!" he yelled, in case she might have difficulty locating him.

"Come here, you," she called, scooping him into her arms. "How would you like to come to an overnight at my house next week?"

Jack's eyes lit up. "Can we have ice cream again?"

She nodded solemnly. "With all the toppings."

"Excuse me; are you also going to be paying for all his dental work?" Jess interrupted the plans for the extended play date.

"Are you saying you don't want a weekend alone with your wife?" Tristan asked, closing the door to the diner.

Jess reconsidered. "Never mind. Ply him with sugar; it's your house he'll destroy."

"You should really thank Ella," Tristan advised his friend. "Rory's just missing having kids around."

"So she's planning on using my child as a replacement to fill some void in her life?" Jess concluded.

"Pretty much," Tristan nodded.

"Not that I don't appreciate free babysitting," Jess cleared his throat, "But I think I have a better solution to her problem."

Tristan perked up. "You can get her out of the empty nest funk and back to normal?"

Jess shrugged. "Normal is a tricky and relative term. I'm suggesting something to get her to see how good she really has it. You know, as someone who had another thirteen years to go before I can enjoy a quiet house for any prolonged period of time."

Rory swung Jack, who was still holding on and had his legs wrapped around her waist, to face her husband. "Since when do you take relationship advice from Jess? Besides, I told you, I am happy that the kids are out in the world, fully independent and happy."

Jess raised an eyebrow. "You called me crying because you found an old sneaker of Jake's in the garage last week."

"I was crying because I tripped over it and sprained my ankle."

"Mmm-hmmm," he shook his head. "As for your husband taking my advice, I believe you enjoyed your last anniversary trip, right?"

Rory looked from Jess to Tristan and back. "That was your idea?"

Jess smirked and Tristan looked sheepish. "He mentioned that he heard about the place, and he didn't really have time to take off and be away from Jack that long, so I checked it out, and thought you'd love it," Tristan admitted.

Rory nodded, still eying her husband. "Come on, Jack, let's go check out the pie. Do you like pie?"

"No, Aunt Rory, I LOVE pie!" he bounced up and down in her arms, nearly causing her to drop him, as they headed back to the kitchen.

"So, what do you suggest?" Tristan asked the moment his wife was out of earshot.

Jess smirked. "I have one word for you. Honeymoon."

Tristan frowned. "We already had one."

Jess nodded. "Exactly. Think back to your honeymoon. Before the kids. You spent all the years following trying to be rid of the kids for long enough to enjoy fractions of evenings spent the same way you spent your honeymoon. Jumpstart her memory—take her back and remind her."

Tristan smiled. "Why didn't I think of that?"

Jess sighed. "Maybe it helps to have daydreams about wanting to do these things," he glanced at Gwen, coming out of the kitchen with yet another plate of food, who gave him a smile. He smiled back. "Besides, you can repay these favors by taking Jack every now and then and letting us enjoy our own empty nest."

"Happy to oblige, man. Hey, shouldn't Ella be here by now? We need to get this thing going," he checked his watch.

"She's just enjoying a pre-wedding present. She'll be here shortly," Rosa said knowingly, munching on a French fry.

"Pre-wedding present?" Rory asked, coming out with food, without her little friend.

Rosa nodded. "Her groom decided on an array of gifts, leading up to the big day; for the last six days he's made sure she had something to either brighten her day or take her mind off of the planning stress, making sure she knows he's excited about this. They took a mini-trip last weekend to the Poconos, he's had flowers delivered daily; he has her booked for full pampering at a spa in Hartford today. Her massage was scheduled for two hours ago, so she should be here soon, if she didn't just melt into the table."

"Geez, some one's slightly whipped," Ambrose muttered.

"You should see what he bought to surprise her with after the rehearsal," Rosa advised.

"A gold platter to keep his balls in?" he mused, which earned him a warning look from several women.

"So, where's he at?" Tristan asked.

"It was a couple's massage. He's with her," Rosa assured.

"And the rest of the boys?" Rory asked.

"Don't worry, they'll be here. Everyone else is coming in a limo, from the city. I had to finish up some work at a job site up north, so I came down in my own car alone."

"It's good to see you," Rory hugged her. "I seriously hope they're paying you your worth," Rory praised her.

"They are. I'm not a project manager yet, but I'm busy. It's nice to do something I love."

"Hey, am I late?" Jake asked, opening the diner door to see his parents, friends, and family all finishing setting up his sister's rehearsal dinner. "Why are we doing this before the rehearsal again?"

Rory hugged her son, now just taller than his father, and held him at arms' length. "Your sister decided to have a candle-light ceremony, which means we're doing it at night, so we're going to practice to make sure we'll be able to see and that we won't catch anything on fire."

"Yes, if we can avoid burning down the Inn, I know I'd be happier," Lorelai mused. "How's school, kid?"

He shrugged. "It's fine. I'm taking eighteen credit hours again, so I'm sort of buried under books most of the time," he admitted.

"You don't need to finish this year," Rory reminded him, not for the first time. "You're double majoring at Columbia. There is no shame in going five years, especially if attempting it in four gives you a nervous breakdown."

He smiled at his mom. "I'm not going to collapse, Mom. I like keeping busy. So, where's Ella? Shouldn't she be here for her own wedding stuff?"

"She's getting a massage with The Super Groom," Jules informed him, handing him a fry from her stack.

"Thanks. Hey, I have those books you lent me out in my car," he offered.

She nodded, and they made for the door. Tristan eyed the pair and turned to Rory. "I thought he just said he was buried under books. He's borrowing extra from Jules to read?"

Rory shrugged, distracted. "I always had four extra books going when I was in school. I manage three non-work related books now," she informed him.

"He's been too busy to meet up with me for a month," he said, still looking at his son through the plate-glass windows.

"He's a senior at Columbia. He's taking an insane number of classes, trying to have a personal life, and looking at what he's going to do next year. Of course he's busy."

Tristan shrugged. "I guess you're right."

Rory smirked. "Now who's having trouble letting go of the kids?"

"All right, food's done. Where's the bride and groom?" Luke asked, the last to come out of the kitchen.

"Where's the rest of the dessert? All I see is your peach pie," Lorelai frowned.

"I don't know. I was just in charge of the one pie, for Ella. Sookie said the rest of it would be here. But since the bride and groom haven't shown up yet," he shrugged.

Jess looked out the window to see two limousines pull up and park, a sight he'd never seen in Stars Hollow, even at prom time. "I think the bride and groom and the future in-laws are here," he informed the group.

"You're late!" Rosa cried as she raced outside to the car and threw her arms around her brother, who stepped out of the first limo.

"Like you could start without us," he said, hugging her back before holding his hand out to help his companion out of the car.

"Do I have to move?" Ella nearly purred from her curled up position in the seat.

"I guess if you really want to nap and miss the burgers you had to have," he said, ducking his head back into the car.

"Are you crazy? Do you know how long it's been since I've had a Luke's burger?" she asked, nearly knocking him down as she escaped the car.

"Yes. Two months ago, when you came to go over details with your grandmother and roped me into sitting in the dunk tank at that weird summer festival they were having," he raised an eyebrow.

"Mom!" Rosa smiled as her mother got out of the other car. Miel Langley stepped out of the car and hugged her daughter tightly.

"You beat us! I told you we were going to be late!" she called into the car, as more people began to get out. Colin, her husband, was next, and he too hugged his daughter.

"It's not like it was my fault. You told me in no certain terms was I to hold up anything this weekend, and if I wasn't on best behavior you'd sell all my clothes on eBay and donate my car to the Salvation Army."

"I wonder if the Salvation Army has ever been gifted a Porsche?" Rosa asked.

"I just want everything to be perfect, and here we're making a bad impression on Ella's family," she frowned and stepped in front of her son. "Though I guess this does mean we owe your father seven hundred dollars."

Greyson frowned. "Seven hundred dollars? Just exactly was the bet?"

Colin smirked at his son. "She said you wouldn't get married before she died."

"And you bet I would?"

"Not until you brought her home the first time," Colin acquiesced, smiling at his son's fiancé.

"The pot wouldn't have been so big if we all didn't think it was a sucker's bet," Katherine Wellington sighed, taking out her purse and handing over her wad of cash to Colin. "I mean, seriously. I actually had that you'd never get married."

Grey looked at Ella. "Wow. The confidence, it's overwhelming."

Ella slipped an arm through his. "No offense, but even you wouldn't have taken those odds."

Grey rolled his eyes. "What about you?" he asked his sister.

"I'm in for fifty. I bet that you would only marry her if Mom made you, in a shotgun sort of scenario."

"I need a drink," Grey shook his head.

"No booze in there," Rosa put her hand on her brother's shoulder. "It's a diner; no liquor license."

"It's Luke's only downfall," Ella agreed.

"Luckily, your best men are here to save the day," Jasper said, standing next to his parents, holding up a flask.

"I knew you two had a function," Grey smirked and held the door open for his sister, fiancé, and mother.

Logan stepped out of the limo after his son, holding his hand out to his wife. "I have one too, if you are so inclined," he said, tapping his jacket's inner pocket.

Amy shook her head. "I've heard nothing for years except how amazing the coffee here is. You think I want to taint the experience with alcohol?" she asked, horrified.

He smiled. "I brought Baileys. Thought that by the end of this, you might like to take your coffee Irish," he offered.

"And that's why I keep you around," she smiled, taking his hand and following the rest of the group into the diner.

XXXX

"Can I have six?"

"No way, Jose," Dave shook his head, still pushing the cart of trays down the street. He had one of many, and he was leading a trail of his family members, being closely tailed by his son, desperate to be given free range with his uncle's cupcakes.

"My name isn't Jose, it's Ryan," he frowned, still keeping pace with the rolling treats.

"My mistake. Jose is your evil twin," Dave joked.

"You can have one, after dinner," Mallory said in her mommy voice of authority. "If you're well behaved."

"And Grandma isn't allowed to supplement that number," Dave warned his mother.

"What about Aunt Lorelai?" Ryan asked knowingly.

Dave gave his son a stern look. "Jack will be there. You'll have someone to play with."

"And eat cupcakes with!" Ryan reminded.

"One!" his parents corrected at the same time.

"You know, he wouldn't get so excited if he had a cousin that lived closer to play with," Sookie pointed out to her daughter Anna, each rolling their own cart loaded with cupcakes up to the sidewalk outside of Luke's.

"Smooth, Mom. Seriously, you're getting more and more subtle every day," Anna rolled her eyes. "Besides, I think his three siblings are plenty of playmates."

"I thought the uncontrollable crying and squeaking noises on your voicemail the other day was quite understated," Will offered. "We're thinking about it, Sookie, I promise."

"Thinking about it?" Sookie perked up.

Anna and Will exchanged a glance. "It's something we've began discussing."

"Hey, if 'discussing' is some sort of code for sex, I really don't want to be stuck out here on the sidewalk having to listen to it," Lia complained.

Anna rolled her eyes. "We're not in a hurry."

"So, what, you're in the tantric stuff?" Billy posed.

"La-la-la-la-la!" Lia put her hands over her ears. "If not for me, think of the child," she nodded toward her oldest nephew.

"Daddy said sex is what mommies and daddies do because they love each other. You're not a daddy, you're an uncle," Ryan informed Will.

"And I love being your uncle, buddy," he said, "Can you open the door for us?"

Ryan ran ahead and opened the door to the diner, running right over to Jack.

"Can we play upstairs?" Jack asked his dad.

"Sure. I'll call you when it's time to eat, okay?"

"Come on, Ryan!" Jack yelled and took off for the stairs.

"Hey, slow down!" Luke called after the boys, to no avail. "I assume you gave them permission to go play in my office," he sighed at Jess.

"It was either that or watch them eat five hundred cupcakes in thirty seconds," he said, pointing to the carts lined up outside.

Luke's eyes widened as he approached Sookie and her entourage. "You said cupcakes for the rehearsal. What are we rehearsing, _Henry the VIII_?"

"Billy and Jane had a fight, and he wouldn't leave the kitchen," Dave said knowingly.

"Maybe we can make centerpieces out of them," Sookie offered.

"And what will we do with the other 300?" Luke posed.

"Just get in here, already," Lorelai said, "Wait, aren't we missing three children?"

"Grandpa is babysitting," Sookie giggled.

"And you expect all three kids to be accounted for at the end of the night?" Lorelai asked, only half seriously.

"Honestly, at this rate, losing one wouldn't be the worst thing in the world," Dave joked, earning a poke from his wife's elbow in the ribs. "Ouch! Kidding, just kidding!"

"Regardless of the fate of your other three children, all those carts aren't going to fit in here, and I'd like to point out that you can't reheat French fries. Can we just leave these out here and get on with the rehearsal dinner?" Luke suggested.

"Look, I hate cold French fries as much as the next person, but we can't leave this many cupcakes out on the street. Kirk will come by and set up a table and sell them to passersby, claiming finders' keepers again," Billy frowned.

Ella poked her head out of the door, slipping her arm around her grandmother's shoulders. "Hey, Cupcake boy, park the carts and get in here. Your love life and compulsive baking aren't going to throw my wedding schedule off!"

"Spoken like her mother's daughter," Lorelai said.

"Whoa, what's with all the cupcakes?" Jake asked as he and Jules rounded the corner back to the diner.

"Where have you two been?" Ella inquired, eyebrow raised.

"I had some of his books," Jules answered, frowning at Jake as he shook his head at her. He looked to his sister and smiled.

"Are we ready to eat?" he deflected.

"Why are you acting weird?" Ella asked her brother as everyone else filed into the diner, to join the rest of the waiting crowd.

"I'm not acting weird," he assured her. "You're the one obsessed with taper length and RSVPs."

"I'm getting married. Those details have to be dealt with. And you're the one that didn't indicate if you were bringing a date or not."

He shrugged. "Does it really matter if I have a date or not?"

Ella rolled her eyes. "It does if you want her to eat. I can't reserve food for someone who doesn't exist," she countered.

"Okay, siblings, separate corners," Jules stepped between them. "Ella, you're the bride, and therefore you're right. Jake, don't aggravate her, it's her wedding."

"Wedding rehearsal," he pointed out.

"If one hundred people failed to add their plus one, a hundred extra people wouldn't have seats or chicken!" Ella said, her voice tight.

"Apologize to your sister," Jules looked with warning at Jake, who scowled.

"But she's," he began.

"Oh my God," Jules cut him off.

"Fine, Ella, you're right. I should have written explicitly that I would not be adding to the number of people you had already invited, thus letting your mind rest about whether or not some girl that doesn't exist wants chicken."

Ella considered his apology. "I can't believe you aren't bringing a date to my wedding. Don't even think about hitting on any of my bridesmaids," she added as she turned and went back inside, leaving just the two stragglers behind.

Jake grabbed a cupcake off the nearest tray and took a bite. "She's crazy."

"She's also suspicious," Jules pointed out.

"Hey, I didn't lie. I'm not bringing anyone that wasn't already invited to this torture fest," he repeated.

"That doesn't mean you don't have a date. Is that why you weren't looking forward to the wedding? You like living a lie?"

"I'm not living a lie. It's just easier, being in a bubble—I'm busy enough with school, and things are going well. Putting off telling everyone works for now. And why did she have to get married during the school year? She couldn't have gotten married in the summer, when people have time to do things like join their families for entire weekends of togetherness in a location that's cut off from civilization?"

"You love Stars Hollow and you're just cranky. Finish your cupcake and I'll help you cover the tracks."

He took a second one from the tray and offered it to her with an apologetic look. She smiled and shook her head. "You're impossible."

"I know," he smiled back.

XXXX

Tristan stood up and clanked his fork against the pint glass filled with water. He waited for a moment, for the side conversations and laughter to quiet and quell. He looked over at his daughter, who was sitting back against Greyson's outstretched arm, looking at ease and happy.

"Now, I should warn you all; I promised Rory I would behave."

"Boo!" Jess shouted, earning a playful scowl from Rory.

"Luckily, that only stops me occasionally," he smirked at his wife, who swiped at his arm from her seat beside him. "I just wanted to thank you all for coming all this way—some of you internationally," he nodded to the Wellingtons, "and most of you from other states. This place is special—sometimes in a challenging sort of way, but it's where Ella's mother grew up, and it has continued, over time, to gather our family. It's fitting that my daughter, who spent summer vacations here with her grandmother, wanted to come here on a special day to ground her new family as well. Greyson," he looked at his soon-to-be son-in-law, "As I'm sure you're aware, this will not be an easy undertaking, marrying a girl who is in love with this town. I know my daughter has made you work for this event, and I salute your resolve. The women in this family are strong, in will and character, and often bossy. But," he said, as the women in question began to narrow their collective gazes at him, "they are also generous, gorgeous, and downright mythical creatures who deserve all the attention they demand. To the happy couple," he raised his glass, and everyone clinked in the toast.

Rosa stood up next, seated between her brother and Paxton Huntzberger, and smiled at the pair.

"What can I say about my baby brother?" she mused.

"The less the better," he encouraged.

"To say I never thought I'd see the day you were getting married—before me, especially, well, I'd be richer if I hadn't taken that bet. But if you had to fall victim to one woman's wiles, I can't say I could have picked a better woman. After all, she is my best friend," Rosa smiled at Ella, who smiled back. "The two of you put me through no small amount of grief when you broke up a few years ago, but I think you both knew something that the rest of us didn't. Had you remained together back then, you probably wouldn't have gotten to experience where life took you in the meantime. When you got back together last year," she sighed happily, "it was something I don't think anyone of us expected, but I can say now that I believe you are both better for having each other in your lives, and we are all better for having you both in our lives. To my brother and my soon-to-be sister," she raised her glass.

"Is it my turn?" Paxton asked.

"I thought I was giving the speech," Jasper frowned. "I have one all prepared."

"You prepared a speech?" Pax asked.

"Bits and pieces. It'll come out when I start talking."

"This is why you only choose one best man," Rosa informed her brother.

"Who could choose between the two of them?" he asked, to which Ella gave him a sharp pinch in his ribs. "Ouch, you know what I mean."

"Let me go first. I need to pop out to place a call soon—I don't want to miss wishing my princess a good morning when she first rises on the other side of the world," Jasper pouted.

Pax rolled his eyes. "Fine. Go."

Jasper stood. "Greyson. I've known you since we were negatively aged and frankly, for many years, I assumed you were having too much fun pretending to be double agents, astronauts, senator's sons, and movie directors to ever let any woman snag you for more than a short while. However, this girl," he smiled at Ella, who blew him a kiss. "Stop it, darling, it still stings," he playfully admonished, "this girl came under your radar and never gave you the option of handing her an alias and dismissing her on any faulty quality she might hold. This girl was different. No one blames you for letting it scare the pants off you and causing her to cut you loose for a while. It gave other men a shot, myself not included, but still. If not for your time apart, I never would have ended up in Portugal pretending to be the Duke of Manchester alongside your Prince of Spain, and therefore I never would have met my Princess, who unfortunately could not make it here today. She was detained on a diplomatic engagement. At any rate, my lovely bride was familiar with both our aliases, and actually used to date the Spanish contingent, but was taken with my charm and wit nonetheless, as she was helpless to avoid me once I set my sights on her. Wait. Where was I?" he frowned.

"Sit down," Pax stood up. "Your relationship is a testament to that saying, 'if you love something, set it free. If it comes back to you, it's truly yours.' We're all privileged to have witnessed it ourselves, and we wish you all the best. The only thing that could make this celebration better," he said, turning to Rosa. "Is if you give me the answer I want to hear."

Rosa rolled her eyes. "I told you, not here."

"Rosa, come on, either you have an answer or you don't," Pax nudged.

Rosa looked around the room, at her parents and Pax's, at her brother and best friend, and even Ambrose, all of whom looked expectant and slightly confused.

"What's going on, Pax?" Amy Huntzberger asked.

"Oh God. I can't not look," Miel Langley said, her hands on her face, but not fully covering her eyes.

"Son, sit down," Logan advised.

"We will discuss it later," Rosa said, her eyes flashing at Pax.

"Did you propose again?" Grey asked.

Pax nodded. "Two nights ago, on top of the Empire State Building," he admitted, not taking his eyes off of Rosa.

"What is it with you and heights?" Ella asked. "Seriously, The Eiffel Tower, that church in Cologne, Mt. Washington," she shook her head. "You know it's not a literal leap you have to take, right?"

"You forgot the Sky Tower in New Zealand," Jasper pointed out. "Of course, he did jump when she said no that time."

"Is this the last time you're going to ask me?" she asked, searching his eyes.

"Only if you say yes," he smirked.

"Can we please just celebrate my brother's wedding and put this on hold for the weekend?" she asked, her tone indicating that he needed to drop it for the time being.

"Fine. But that wasn't a no. I would like that to go on record."

"It is a first," Jasper agreed.

Amy and Miel shared a look. "He's been proposing to her?" Katherine asked. "I leave the country for the summer and I'm out of the loop?" she complained.

"Nothing's come of it, so far. It's sort of a crusading campaign for him. He actually proposed for the first time six months ago," Amy relented.

"Wait. They were in an off phase then, right? Because she came to the beach with us, and she was flirting with that hunky lifeguard," Katherine remembered. "I remember, because I thought about pretending to drown just so he could save me."

"Excuse me? I'm right here," Finn interjected.

"I know, Sweetie, I know," she patted his hand. "Trust me; even you would have appreciated the body on this man. Spectacular. Anyhow, continue," Katherine nodded.

"They were on one of their many breaks. He found out she was on a date, went to her apartment, waited for her to get back with flowers and a ring, and asked her to marry him. She told him to go home, and he did, then he came back the next day and proposed again. She said no, but that they could date. So, they were on again for a while, and she asked if he was still thinking about marriage, and he said that he really just wanted her back, and maybe she was right to say no. So, she called it all off again, telling him he wasn't ready for any of this after all."

Katherine looked partially horrified. "Tell me he didn't propose again at that point," she pleaded.

Miel giggled. "He has no capacity for learning when it comes to my daughter. He proposed and she threatened to get a restraining order, but that didn't dissuade him. This has been going on and off for months now, but I've lost count. I actually don't know if they've been dating recently or not, do you? I honestly can't keep track, especially with the wedding."

Amy shrugged. "I told him if she ever says yes, let us know. Otherwise I'm too tired to keep track, too."

There was another clinking of glasses, quieting the crowd again, and Grey stood up. "I'd like to say something on behalf of Ella and myself, if I could."

Every stopped and turned to the groom. "I should probably be a little more insulted at all the pronouncements of amazement that I am about to get married, but I suppose that it should be a testament to Ella, and the fact that I am just smart enough to realize that being with her will be far more exciting than anything I can cook up on my own, even though I do admit that I had a pretty good solo run, until she came along. But I realized one thing, after we separated a few years ago, and it's the reason I worked so diligently in winning her favor again—left to my own devices, I can do whatever I please, except one thing. I couldn't have Ella. And without Ella, most of my adventures fell short, where they hadn't in the past. Mostly, I'm just glad she missed me as much as I missed her," he raised a glass to his bride.

"I really just hate to see you beg," she offered with a coy smile.

"Whatever works, my dear," he kissed her cheek.

The group went back to eating and chatting, some more relaxed than others. Lia went up to get more coffee, holding her cup out to Jake, already behind the counter for his own refill.

"I thought you were off caffeine," he said as he filled her cup with the regular carafe.

"It was more of an experiment in cruelty. Several people offered monetary incentive for me to not only go back on it, but to up my quantities," she smirked.

"Pushers. I'm going to guess Jules was spearheading that campaign?"

"Let's just say I'm not a morning person," she laughed. "I nearly put a fork in her hand when she drank a latte in front of me at that diner last week when we stayed up all night dancing," she cringed.

"Hey, speaking of which, can you stop taking her to the clubs with you?" he asked.

"Someone has to entertain her. Not all of us are quite as busy as you are. And wouldn't you rather her be hit on by girls that she isn't interested in than boys?"

He paused. "Once this semester is over, you need to find a new wingman," he sighed. "Or is it wingwoman?"

"Hey," Ambrose said, joining the pair. "Can you believe that guy?"

"What guy?" Jake asked, taking a sip, hoping that his conversation with Lia hadn't been overheard.

"Paxton Huntzberger. It was bad enough that she was so smitten with him five years ago, but can't he get a clue? If a girl keeps saying no, it doesn't mean ask again later."

"Someone's jealous," Lia smiled behind her cup.

"Jealous? Of that rich, blonde," he searched for the right word with distaste.

"Careful, you don't want to speak ill of your girlfriend's fiancé," Jake mocked.

"Seriously, what does she see in him?" Ambrose asked.

"What does anyone see in anyone else? Maybe he knows her in a way she can't imagine anyone else ever knowing her; maybe he makes her laugh so hard she pulls a muscle, or he takes care of her when she's sick and brings her Hostess cupcakes to cheer her up when she has a really sucky day," Jake rattled off potential reasons, trying to ignore Lia's raised eyebrows.

"What do you know about it? You're just as single as I am," Ambrose sulked.

"You've never complained before," Jake pointed out.

"I'm going for a walk. I'll see you at the inn," Ambrose said, putting his cup on the counter and heading out the front door.

"She wouldn't share even a bite of those cupcakes with me," Lia informed Jake.

"Well, I didn't get them for you, did I?" Jake mused.

"What are you two talking about? Why did Am take off like that?" Jules asked, coming up next to her roommate.

"He's just been entertaining the idea that Rosa might not be as spoken for as she appears to be, and his nose is all out of joint," Jake told her.

"He'll get over it. Maybe you should make some time to take him out next weekend," Jules suggested.

"Your brother needs a strip club and some strong drinks. Still want to volunteer me?" he offered.

She considered this. "Can't you just avert your eyes and only look at the ugly strippers?"

"Why are you talking about ugly strippers?" Jess asked his daughter, his hands coming to rest on her shoulders.

"Ambrose is all sad about Rosa's impending engagement," she said without missing a beat.

"He'll get over it. He's done it before," Jess advised. "How's school?"

"Fine. I'm taking an art class, and I think Lia's going to kill me. I keep leaving my stuff all over the dining table, and I've had to pay for two dry cleaning bills due to paint on her clothes," she cringed at her best friend and roomie, who shook her head in amusement at her as she retreated with her refill.

"Which means you want more money?" he concluded.

She smiled. "I would never turn down money from my wonderful father."

"How's Columbia? Still killing your mother and enjoying it?" Jess asked Jake.

"It is a perk. I'm keeping out of trouble for the most part."

Jess paused, looking at the two of them. Both waited out his scrutiny. "I should go check on Jack. It's too quiet up there."

"Later, Dad," Jules smiled as he walked away, but once he was on the stairs, they both let out a breath. "Did he look to you like he suspected something?"

"Now you're just being paranoid."

"Still. Maybe we should stick to separate corners for the duration. Or fess up."

Jake shook his head. "We don't have to do either of those things. Us being together is normal. Especially at a function like this. It's not like we're sneaking off to make out. Well, not a lot," he smirked, referring to their earlier interlude.

"I hadn't seen you in two weeks," she defended.

"I'm not complaining. But unless you want to shift the focus of this wedding, which is already being attempted by a separate couple, we need to watch our steps. Our families are very detail-oriented and slightly paranoid."

"Right. Maybe we should go back to the group," she offered.

"Ladies first," he agreed.

"Wait. What's the plan for later?"

He smiled. "Why, whatever do you mean?" he asked, playing dumb.

"I'm in room ten. I'll leave the door unlocked," she said as she took her coffee cup and rejoined her table. She did her best to not look at Jake when she sat down, but could not wipe the smile from her face when she caught his eye anyhow.

XXXX

Rory stood with her arm through Jake's bent arm, waiting to be called forward to practice sitting down.

"Stop twitching," she admonished.

"I'm not twitching."

"It feels like you're about to breakdance."

"Because I'm pretty fly for a white guy?" he posed.

"What is with you lately?"

"Me? Nothing. I just think it's weird that we have to practice all of this. I mean, walking, sitting? Do they really think we haven't mastered these skills before this night?"

"Someone had way too much coffee," she eyed him.

"Hello pot, meet the kettle," he raised an eyebrow.

"You didn't come home for fall break," she pointed out.

"I had a lot to catch up on," he assured her.

"Mmmm-hmm. Your dad says you've been blowing him off for lunch," she continued.

"Like I said, Mom, I've been busy."

"Because it seems like you're avoiding us. And you only avoid us for one reason," she pushed.

"I'm not hiding anything," he assured her. "I'm just trying to get things set up for next year and survive this year. You remember college, your last year. Was it particularly ample in free time?"

She bit the inside of her cheek, trying not to appear bested. He was up to something and she was going to get him to admit it. Or trip him up. "No, I guess not. Did you decide on grad schools?"

He shrugged. "I'm trying to cover my bases and decide if I'd rather get my MBA or try for law school."

"Your dad wants to help you network. He says if you ever called him back, you could take about eighteen things off your to-do list."

"Fine. I'll have lunch with Dad soon. Is that what this is about?"

"I just want you to know that you can tell us anything. And if you need money, we are more than willing to help out," she nudged smoothly.

"I have money, Mom. But I appreciate the offer."

Rory sighed. "What is the holdup out there? I'm tired of the standing; I'm ready to practice sitting."

XXXX

Tristan stood next to his daughter, in the stables at the Dragonfly Inn, in their official hiding spot from which they would emerge to descend down the outdoor aisle. "So, are you nervous?"

Ella shook her head. "I know Mom's not thrilled."

"Your mother is glad you're happy. And we both love Grey."

"So, her calling to make sure I don't want to call it off and come home was…?" she led.

"Something of a psychotic break. You're not allowed to move home," he joked.

"Dad," she cocked her head, her patented look she pulled when she needed to pretend to be annoyed with him.

"Something tells me you won't ever need to worry about moving back in with us. Given the fact he's loaded and your dowry isn't too shabby either."

"I wasn't aware there was a dowry involved," she raised an eyebrow.

"Sure, sure. I mean, it's not so easy to unload a girl, even in today's society, to the right bloodlines," he teased.

"How many cows was I worth?"

"Six," he boasted. "Must have been that Yale education you got," he teased.

"Maybe I should ask Mom to help me decorate the apartment," she mused, still stuck on the fact her mother wasn't completely thrilled to be so-called losing her oldest child.

"When are you moving in?" he asked.

"It should be ready two weeks after we get back from the honeymoon. Grey still won't tell me where we're going, just to pack for a warm climate. We're going to finish packing up my apartment until the renovations are complete once we get back from the mystery location."

"And you're sure you want to stay in the city?"

"Dad, it's safe. It's the Upper East Side."

"I know. But do you want to raise kids in the city?"

"Whoa, you're like, ten steps ahead of us. You guys aren't jonesing for grandkids yet, are you?"

Tristan shook his head. "No. In fact I'd be happy if you wanted to wait a few years to consummate this marriage," he suggested.

"I get it," she said, without the hint of a blush.

"Hey, while we're waiting, do you know what's going on with Jake?"

Ella blew out some air. "Besides being the usual pain-in-the-butt brother that he is so good at being?"

"I don't want to hear about the RSVP thing again," Tristan groaned.

"Fine," she crossed her arms. "But yeah, he's clearly hiding something. I have no idea what, though. I've sort of been too busy to devote any time to shaking him down."

Tristan frowned. "You think he's having trouble in one of his classes?"

Ella shook her head. "No, he gets antsy when he's having school trouble, he takes to distractions—he's been too hermit-y for that. Like his spare time is too precious to bother calling me back and just telling me if he's bringing at date… he claimed he was just too busy. And he told it to my voicemail, so I couldn't even hang up on him," she sighed.

"Your mom said I should just stop by his apartment one day and snoop," he admitted.

"Why haven't you?"

He shook his head at his daughter. "I trust you both. If he needs to talk, he'll talk. Until then I'll do the respectable thing and discuss it behind his back," he laughed.

Lorelai came out and poked her head in. "Hey. We're ready for you guys; we're not going to add the music until the second run."

Ella nodded and put her arm through her father's. "Ready?"

"As ready as I'll ever be to give my little girl away," he said softly and kissed the top of her head. "Let's go."

XXXX

Rosa stood next to Ella, holding both pretend bouquets made from dozens of ribbons that Lorelai had fashioned for the occasion. Ella stood facing Grey, listening to the minister go over the order of the ceremony. Rosa did her best not to focus solely on Pax, who was staring at her in an attempt to converse without words. She had thought he might behave himself this weekend, giving her a reprieve on answering the question he'd posed the last night they'd been together, but as was often the case with him when it came to her, his vision was quite tunnel-like. She finally lifted her gaze to his eyes and smiled. She couldn't help it; she'd actually been giving this some thought. When he first proposed, in what she assumed was a spur-of-the-moment, desperate attempt to get her attention, she never entertained the idea he was truly serious.

However, when he'd produced the ring, it had shaken her. Her only constant behind her argument for denying him was the fact that neither of them had ever been ready at the same time to continue on to the next step. Getting married was a big deal; something she needed to be sure that they were both ready for. And they hadn't been ready at twenty-one, just like Ella and Grey, and so at the point in their relationship where it had been impossible for them to either slide back or hold steady, in lieu of being ready to move forward, they took time apart. Unlike Ella and Grey, they'd had much more trouble staying away from each other, and kept getting back together in ill-fated attempts to ignore the fact they were both in slightly different places in their lives, and tried to date other people in the interim—also with slightly disastrous effects.

But this time; even she had to admit, it was different. He'd been courting her; he hadn't been seeing other women in an attempt to forget her. He had been focusing solely on her, not because she was dating someone else—because she wasn't—but because he seemed genuinely ready to move past this, to something more, with her. That scared her a little more than she let on, hence the thoughts she'd also been having about Ambrose this evening. He was the one person she hadn't dated while on one of her many breaks with Pax, though she had given him some thought in her single stretches. She knew it was dangerous, getting involved with someone she could truly care about, when she was so entangled still with Pax. It had always been slightly star-crossed, her flirtation with Ambrose. It was never the right time, and perhaps in another life they could have belonged together. But in this life, she had committed most of her heart to another man. It was only a matter of time until she surrendered the rest of it.

XXXX

"Mom, can't I sleep in your bed?" Jack asked Gwen, looking at her with wide eyes.

"Where would I sleep?" she asked, playing dumb with her son.

"With me!" he said gleefully.

"But, if you sleep in my bed with me, where would Daddy sleep?" she posed.

"Um," he thought for a second. "On the floor?"

"This is taking a turn for the worse," Jess said from the doorway, where he was watching his son be tucked in.

"I guess he could sleep with us," Jack offered.

"How big of you," Jess smiled.

"Honey, you're a big boy. Are you scared of sleeping here at Uncle Luke's by yourself?" she posed.

He shook his head. "Aunt Lorelai lets me eat Pop Tarts! They taste like S'mores!"

"Maybe he should sleep with us," Jess grunted.

Gwen shook her head. "You were very handsome in your tie, Jack. You're going to be the best ring bearer ever tomorrow."

Jack beamed. "Thanks Mommy," he said as he snuggled down under the covers. Jess moved to stand behind Gwen as she kissed the boy's hairline. Jess crouched down and kissed the top of his son's head.

"Night, Jack."

"Night, Dad," he said as he closed his eyes. Gwen turned out the lamp beside the bed and they walked into the kitchen, closing the door on their son and sitting down at the table with Lorelai and Luke.

"He settled in?" Luke asked, handing Jess a beer.

"For now," Jess nodded.

"He'll only get up if he has a nightmare, you just have to go in and help him put the monsters in time out," Gwen instructed.

"Monsters in time out, got it," Lorelai smiled, the one most likely to go check on crying children in the middle of the night. "How's he doing in kindergarten?"

Gwen nodded. "He loves it. Of course, his reading level is slightly ahead of the rest of his class," she looked to Jess.

He smiled. "Ambrose and Jules were the same way. I have certain priorities for my children."

"His teacher thought we were kidding when Jess told her he was reading the Hardy Boys with him already."

"It's not like I don't have to help him a little," Jess shrugged. "Did you guys notice Jules acting weird tonight?"

"I noticed Ambrose sulking, but Jules seemed okay. Is something wrong at school? I thought she loved Sarah Lawrence," Luke offered.

Lorelai rolled her eyes. "Don't tell me you don't know."

Jess and Luke looked at her, lost. "Did she talk to you?" Jess asked.

"She didn't have to. Have you noticed?" Lorelai asked Gwen.

"Well," Gwen looked at Jess then looked away. "I've known for some time that she's seeing someone."

"What?" Jess asked. "She told you this?"

Gwen shook her head. "It's just little clues. Things she says."

"The kid code in full effect tonight," Lorelai pointed out.

"Okay, enough of the kid code stuff. Just tell us what's going on, oh wise one," Luke instructed his wife.

"Men are so blind. Jules is dating Jake."

Jess hesitated. "Jake… Dugrey?"

Lorelai peered at Jess. "Yes. You know, Rory's son, my grandson, about this tall?" she held up her hand way high over her seated head. "Dark blonde hair, blue eyes?"

"I know who Jake is. Tristan said he's been insanely busy lately at Columbia and hasn't had time for anything."

"Well, I'm sure taking eighteen credit hours, preparing for grad school and sneaking around with Jules takes a toll on his free time," Lorelai smirked.

"Why would they sneak around? Why wouldn't they just tell us? And when did this happen? They were just friends," Jess processed the new information.

"I have no idea; I just picked up on the signs. If you want information, you should either go to them or even better, the roommate."

"Lia?" Luke asked.

"Roommates have all the dirt," Gwen pointed out. "She'll know when everything started. But I vote for just asking Jules," she announced.

"Why would they hide it, though, unless," Jess closed his eyes. "Oh, God, you don't think they're working the friends with benefits angle, do you? 'Cause I'll kill him, then I'll lock her in her old room."

Luke took a long swig of beer. "Or you could talk to them reasonably."

"Says the man who pushed me in a lake," Jess muttered, which still made Luke smile.

"Does Rory know?" Gwen asked.

Lorelai shook her head. "She knows something's afoot, but Jake wouldn't spill. She pressed on him during the rehearsal, but all she got out of him was a promise to have lunch with Tristan soon."

Jess stood up. "Come on, we should get back to the inn. We can stop by and say goodnight to Jules on our way."

"What about Ambrose?" Luke asked.

"He's out of college. And he's all sulky, he can tuck himself into bed," Jess smirked as they left the Dane's home, leaving their youngest child in the care of his great uncle for the night.

XXXX

"Are you sure they don't know anything?" Jules asked as she pulled back slightly.

Jake smiled. "Don't worry about it. We're fine. We don't need to tell them anything until we're ready," he assured as he leaned back down for a kiss.

Jules bit her lip. "What are we waiting for again?"

Jake sighed and rolled over onto his back from his side. "I thought we agreed it was just easier."

"It was, I mean, it gave us our own time together, and it was sort of fun, this summer, meeting up with you secretly, but," she sighed, reaching to grab his chin and turn his face back toward her. "I think we should tell our parents what we're doing."

"Having sex?" he smirked, which earned him a playful slap on his bare bicep. "Ouch!"

"No! I mean, yes, but we don't have to give them a list of all the stuff we've done. Just tell them we're, you know, together."

"I'm pretty sure your Dad will deduce that I've had sex with you. And it's kind of up in the air as to whether he'll want me dead."

"It's not like you deflowered me," she raised an eyebrow.

"Somehow I don't think I'll earn points for defending my sexual relationship with you by telling him I wasn't the first one to achieve that goal."

She smiled. "You might be right. But he knows I've had sex. I'm not a little girl anymore."

"I wholeheartedly agree with that statement," he smiled, leaning in to kiss her. He wrapped his arms back around her, and she did the same, losing a few moments to relish in being alone, even in the midst of their family. They carried on in the bed assigned to Jules for her duration of the wedding weekend at the Dragonfly until a knock came to her door, causing them both to freeze and bolt straight up in bed.

"Expecting company?" he whispered.

"Crap! What do we do now?"

"I could hide in the closet," he offered.

"That's so stupid," she whispered back.

"But a better idea than being flagellated," he argued.

She moved to grab a robe. "Fine. Just let me see who it is."

"Jules?" Jess called from the other side of the door. "Everything okay in there?"

Tristan came up the back staircase from the kitchen, his hands full of plates loaded with snacks. "What's wrong?"

Jules opened the door. "Nothing's wrong. What's up, Dad?"

"Can I come in and talk to you?" Jess asked.

Jules glanced at Tristan then back at her dad. "Actually, I'm kinda beat. Can we talk tomorrow?"

Jess peered at her. "You're all flushed."

"Am I? Must have gotten too much sun today."

"It was overcast," Jess shot back.

"Dad," she began.

"Move," he instructed.

"Excuse me?" she crossed her arms, trying to appear offended and not bested.

"Is everything all right?" Tristan asked again.

"It's fine," Jules assured him.

"Come with me," Jess instructed his friend.

"Why?"

"Just come with me," Jess said as he walked into Jules' room and headed straight past the messed up bed to the closet. Jules closed her eyes shut tight as Tristan stood in the middle of the room and Jess opened the closet door to reveal Jake, standing there in his boxer shorts.

"Why is Jake in the closet?" Tristan inquired.

"I believe Jules has an answer for that," Jess turned to glare at his daughter.

"How did you know he was in the closet?" Jules asked in wonder.

"Never mind that. What's going on here?" Jess demanded.

"This isn't how we wanted you to find out," Jake assured them.

"Wait, this is why you've been blowing me off? You're seeing Jules?" Tristan put the pieces together.

"I just haven't had a lot of free time, and when I do, I hang at her place. I'm not trying to blow you off," Jake said, wondering if his shirt was accessible without trying to pass both the fathers in the room.

"When did this start?" Jess asked.

Jules and Jake shared a look for an extended beat, which unnerved both of their fathers. Jules nodded and Jake sighed before answering. "At Martha's Vineyard in July."

Tristan looked at Jess. "But, we were all there," he reasoned.

"At first, yeah, and nothing happened, we were just hanging out with Ambrose like normal. But he got that call to interview, so he left early, and you guys took Jack back to the city, and you and Mom had to get back to work, but I had a couple of extra days and Jules' summer session didn't start until the next week, so we stayed to shut up the house. But that night, we stayed up late, on the beach, talking, and," he shrugged his shoulders and failed to meet Jess' eyes.

"Why didn't you just tell us?" Tristan asked, not quite as irritated as Jess was.

"At first we weren't sure there was anything to tell," Jules stepped in. "I mean, it wasn't something we planned. It just happened. But then we kept hanging out, and things kept snowballing, and by the time we knew we should tell you, we felt weird about having not already told you."

"So you thought it best for us to catch you in the act?" Jess supplied.

"And why were you in the closet?" Tristan asked his son.

"I was pretty sure Jess would behead me if I was still in the bed when he opened the door," Jake admitted.

"Smart kid. I always have liked you," Jess acknowledged.

"I hope this doesn't change that," Jake cringed.

Jess looked from Jake to his grown daughter, a college student for most purposes living on her own, who gave him a hopeful smile.

"We're not just messing around, Dad," Jules promised.

"Fine. We can talk about this later, with everyone dressed. Everyone should get to bed. I'm assuming your wife is expecting you back soon," Jess informed Tristan.

"Yeah," he frowned. "Uh, goodnight."

"Night, Dad," Jake supplied, not moving an inch.

Jess raised an eyebrow at Jake. "You have a room to go back to, right?"

Jake flinched. "As soon as I gather my belongings."

Jess gave a little glare. "Hurry."

"Right," Jake promised as Jess nodded at his daughter and took his leave. Only then did Jake move to Jules, who wrapped her arms around his waist and hugged him. "That was," Jake began.

"Awkward?" she provided.

"I was going to say moderately terrifying."

"You don't have anything to worry about. Dad's cool as long as I'm happy."

Jake smiled at her. "And are you?"

She beamed at him. "I'd be happier if you stayed a few more minutes."

"Trying to get me killed?"

Jules cocked her head. "He's not standing on the other side of the door with a stopwatch. He just doesn't want to find proof you slept here all night."

She stood up on tiptoes to kiss him, to which he gave a noise of defeat. He kissed her back, picking her up so her feet left the ground, making her giggle as he backed her up to the bed. "The things I'll risk to keep you happy," he said as he kissed her again.

XXXX

Ambrose stopped short on the wooden bridge. "Oh. Sorry. I didn't realize this spot was taken."

Rosa looked up at him in surprise. "Oh, you don't fool me. You came looking for me, didn't you?"

He crossed his arms. "Man, one guy proposes and suddenly you think every guy is in love with you."

She smiled softly and looked out over the water. "I just needed to think, so I took a walk and wound up here. You?"

He nodded. "Same."

"You can sit. If you want," she offered.

He hadn't had a better invitation in a while, so he moved a couple of feet away from her and sat down on the edge of the bridge. "You don't want to talk, do you?"

She looked up at him with a quizzical expression. "You want to listen to me talk about if I want to marry Pax or not?"

He rolled his eyes. "You don't need to talk to me about that. You've made up your mind. Otherwise you would have already said yes."

She looked out over the water, still looking perplexed. "It's not that simple."

"You're just not ready?" he posed.

"I didn't think he was. Now I'm not so sure," she bit her lip. "I feel like I shouldn't discuss this with you. I don't want, I mean," she looked at him meaningfully. "Does this bother you?"

He shrugged. "We're friends, right? I mean, not like normal friends, but I couldn't ignore you if I passed you on the street. Hell, you're pretty hard to ignore in general."

She blushed. "I think that was a compliment."

"So," he cleared his throat. "You want to marry him and he's ready. What's the hold up? Just let the guy off the hook."

"I know, I should. But after all this time, I got so used to him asking and me saying no, telling myself it had nothing to do with me, it was all about him. I was doing what was best for us. But now, it's different. Now I wonder if I was glad he wasn't really ready—because now that he is I have to figure out if I am."

Ambrose let out a breath, but caught her gaze. "You say the word, and I'll take you away from here and give you every reason not to marry that guy."

Her eyes widened for a moment as his words sunk in, and then she smiled. "Part of me wishes I could take you up on that."

"It's not because I'm too young now," he said, his tone sad, though sure.

"No. You're definitely," she paused. "If I weren't about to be engaged, you'd be in real trouble," she finally said with a small laugh.

"I know," he acknowledged.

"About that dance," she hedged.

He shook his hand, as if dismissing her next statement. "Don't worry about it. I'm not much of a dancer anyhow."

"Guess I'm not the right girl after all," she said softly.

"Not for me, at least, not now. You should go get engaged. Before he starts to take it personally."

She leaned over and kissed his cheek. "Thanks. You're the best guy I never dated."

"Your loss," he shot back, his tone light. He held himself back from returning her light kiss on the cheek. She stood up and walked back in the direction of the inn. She could find her own way, he was sure, and he needed a few minutes alone.

XXXX

"I'm exhausted," Anna said as she flopped onto the bed. She felt like she was about to melt into the mattress. "I love our bed. It's the best bed in the whole world," she murmured.

"Do you want me to leave you two alone?" Will asked, watching her from the bathroom door, floss still in his hands.

"That depends. Do you plan on hogging the covers?" she inquired.

"Pssh. Like you let me have any to begin with," he teased.

"You're more than welcome to curl up with me and share."

He turned off the bathroom light after tossing the floss into the trash. "Sounds like a plan. So, your mom was on fire tonight," he eyed her carefully.

"Well, Dad's usually the only one to rein her in, and he was probably being tied to a chair with duct tape by three crazy monkeys, so she took the opportunity to show her full displeasure at our lack of reproduction thus far."

"Seriously, she's had a steady supply of grandkids coming along thanks to Davey the Wonder Stud," he joked, but she pulled a sour face and sent her fist into his stomach as he sat on the bed next to her.

"Gross!"

"Sorry. But seriously, do they not understand how birth control works?"

"I still maintain Mom broke into their house and switched out all Mal's birth control pills for sugar pills that last time," she yawned. "Man, I don't think I can keep my eyelids open."

"So go to sleep."

"No, I have to convince you it's not time to say anything yet," she said with one eye open, peering at him knowingly.

"But it will end all the threats, guilt trips, and general disgust thrown our way by your mother and about twenty-five percent of the town's population."

"Oh, now she's my mother," Anna grinned. "You're lucky, with Lorelai never wanting her kids to repeat history—you have like no pressure at all. If your mom didn't love me, I'd worry about how laid back she is about the whole thing."

Will settled back against the pillows. "I just think it wouldn't hurt to tell everyone."

"It's too soon. It's bad luck."

"Since when are you superstitious?"

"Since I have a tiny little being attempting to gestate inside me. The book says not to tell until the second trimester. Also, I don't want Mom to start the barrage of information on safe cribs and proper swaddling techniques."

"Or your dad raving about the dangers of jostling pregnant women," he pointed out.

"Oh my God, I still remember that trip we took to Pennsylvania Amish country when Mom was pregnant with Lia—he never drove over 35 miles an hour the entire trip. Look, it's enough that this kid will be born and instantly recognize how insane its grandparents are, I think we can shield it and ourselves for a few more weeks. Besides, I haven't started to show, have I?"

He shook his head. "You still have your girlish figure," he ran his hand up her side slowly under her night shirt, skin on skin. She smiled with both eyes closed.

"I'm still exhausted."

"I'll do all the work," he promised.

She opened one eye. "How is that any fun?"

He smiled. "You need your rest. Everybody wins."

"How about we reconvene in the morning when I'm rested?"

He frowned. "And when you're going to be throwing up?"

"Only for a half an hour. After that, I'm all good."

He cringed. "I think you're confused as to what 'all good' entails," he attempted diplomatically.

She turned her head to face him, now looking much more awake. "Hey, my current state of being is more than partially your doing."

He smiled. "I remember."

"Good. You replay the events from that night in your head, and let me sleep."

He groaned and snuggled down next to her. "Is this really how it's going to be? You call the shots, tell me when we can tell our family and when we can have sex?"

She patted his hand that was wrapped around her still hourglass waist. "For now. In about seven months, the baby will be calling the shots."

He smiled and closed his eyes. "Sounds like a plan."

XXXX

Rory looked up to see her husband looking very confused, but carrying two platefuls of food she'd requested he go down and pilfer from the kitchen.

"Did you get lost?" she asked jokingly.

"No. I got redirected. I think there's something I should tell you."

She sat up, concerned. "Is Ella okay?"

He put the plates down. "She's fine. It's actually Jake."

"What's wrong with Jake?" she asked, not even reaching for any of the treats.

Tristan paused, choosing words that might paint the picture best for her. In the end, he went with simple truth. "We just found him in the closet in Jules' room."

Concern melted into confusion across his wife's features. "Huh?"

"I was coming down the hall, and Jess was there, in front of Jules' door, and she was trying to get him to leave, and all of a sudden Jess was telling me to come with him, and he walked straight to the closet, opened the door, and there stood our son."

"Why was he in the closet?"

"My guess is because he couldn't fit under the bed."

"Was he naked?" she asked, slightly horrified.

Tristan shook his head. "Not yet. But he was in boxers, and Jules was wearing a robe."

"Wait. You don't really mean that they… they're," she searched for the right words.

"It looks that way."

"When did that happen?" she pondered, hating that her kids could develop major life changes and her not even be aware of it. "I thought he was dating that girl, the one that was pre-med and recited beat poetry at those sad little coffee houses?"

Tristan snorted. "Like that was going to last. He stopped seeing her almost a year ago."

"Where does the time go?" she mused.

"Apparently he and Jules have been seeing each other since we were all up at the beach house for the fourth of July."

Rory's eyes widened. "That long? Why haven't they told us?"

Tristan shrugged. "Ah, well, apparently they were just," he paused, "You know. At first they were friends who did a little more than they planned on. By the time they realized it was more serious than just physical stuff, they were sort of used to not telling us."

"Wait, they were just having sex?" Rory wrinkled her nose.

Tristan shook his head. "I knew you weren't going to understand that."

"You do?"

He nodded. "They're young, but they're old enough to have their own personal sex lives. They weren't doing anything wrong; it's not like they were dating other people. And they are really good friends."

"I don't have sex with all of my really good male friends," Rory judged.

"Because your husband would dismember them," he said seriously.

She rolled her eyes. "I mean, I didn't. When I was in college," she clarified.

"You had me."

"Fine. Then I wouldn't have."

"I assure you it's perfectly normal. Isn't it better that he was hooking up with Jules than Dr. Beat?" he asked, using the name they'd assigned to Jake's last ill-fated romance.

"I'd like to believe he was smarter than to actually sleep with Dr. Beat," she shuddered.

"I've told you before, engaging in stupid hobbies might hasten our breaking up with women, but it won't prevent us from sleeping with them," Tristan advised wisely.

"Boys are strange creatures," Rory sighed. "Fine, so they were what, friends with benefits?"

Tristan shrugged. "I don't know what they told themselves they were doing, but at any rate, they're past that now. Jake stood before Jess in his boxers and professed his interest in his daughter. I think that's pretty serious. Or pretty stupid," Tristan laughed.

"Oh, poor Jess. I'll have to thank him for holding back the urge to break Jake's knees," Rory giggled.

"Seriously. Jess that that look in his eyes, that he did whenever he saw her first boyfriend. What was his name?"

Rory thought. "Court, I think. But he should be a little more used to boys falling all over themselves for a shot with Jules. She's had more than her fair share of boyfriends since she was 16. She's a beautiful, smart girl."

"And it looks like your son has bagged her. I mean," Tristan frowned. "You know what I mean."

"So, we're proud of our son for hiding in the closet?" she reiterated.

"More for being caught in the closet, maybe? I don't know, but I think this is a good thing. It's better than why I thought he was blowing off meeting with me," he admitted.

Rory frowned and touched his arm. "You thought he was just avoiding you?"

Tristan shrugged. "I did it for enough years. I thought maybe he needed some space from me, or I don't know. I was having some serious flashbacks to when my Dad would call and I'd be too busy to see him."

Rory leaned up on her knees and reached out to hug her husband. "I could have told you that was crazy. Jake idolizes you. Seriously, I've actually been concerned at how much he admires you. You've been the best husband and father I could have ever imagined."

Tristan smiled and kissed her. "You made it so easy," he admitted.

She kissed him a little more deeply, pulling his weight over her body as she leaned back against the mattress. She had to admit, having her kids grown to the point that they didn't need them as much did give them plenty of time to enjoy activities best not interrupted, lest someone else have to hide in the closet on a moment's notice.

XXXX

"No porn," Greyson rolled his eyes.

"It's your last night as a free man," Jasper reminded him. "And there are no houses of ill repute in quite a wide berth from here."

"So, he's never going to see another naked woman again?" Pax reasoned.

"I assure you with Ella around, I will have little need for porn or strippers," Grey boasted.

"I don't think we want to get into a pissing contest over this," Pax began, "because all my current bragging rights involve your sister."

Grey shuddered. "Point taken."

"So, if we aren't going to watch porn, how are we going to put this illustrious evening to rest?" Jasper inquired.

"What is it with you and porn?" Grey asked. "Miss your Princess that much?"

Jasper smiled. "She wears a crown, mate. Just a crown," he raised his eyebrows in a show of appreciation.

"Only you would end up with an honest-to-God princess. The thought of you running a country, even a little one like Lichtenstein," Pax blew out a breath. "Hey, does that mean you could knight us? I've always wanted a title."

"You mean other than Most Proposal Refusals by One Woman?" Grey snickered.

"Scoff if you must," Pax shook his head, "but I'm going to be your brother-in-law someday."

Jasper and Grey exchanged a look. "Look, man, I know you're determined, but even I draw the line somewhere," Jasper said in a super-easy tone, no jovial manner underneath.

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"It's just, you've asked her. And asked her. And she always says no. At a certain point, you're just doing the same thing repeatedly, hoping for a different result. Maybe," he cringed.

Pax steeled himself. "She didn't say no tonight. We've both been circling each other for so long, and I think she knows it's time we both need to stop running. She's going to say yes."

"But there is something to be said for stopping the chase. She knows you're ready, maybe you should let her come to you," Grey offered.

"Says the man who was willing to lie, cheat, and steal to get the woman he loved," Pax retorted.

"I told one lie. A harmless, little," Grey defended.

"You told her we'd all be there. That it was strictly platonic," Jasper jumped in.

"Fine, two lies. But I needed her undivided attention. I figured the foreign locale would not only remind her of some of our better adventures, but also limit her options should she bolt."

"She's a smart girl, good at languages, she could have run away just as fast to the nearest airstrip as she wanted. You're just lucky she likes you," Pax scoffed. "And that she didn't file kidnapping charges."

"He put it all out there. That's what you have to do with the woman you love; it's what I did. You offer her everything she wants and give her no doubt that you are the man for her," Jasper nodded.

"Exiling her in the African safari under the ruse of palling about with her college buddies isn't really what comes to mind when I think of the best way to win a girl's heart," Pax deflected.

"She always wanted to go. It was just another adventure. And it gave me time alone with her, to show her I wanted her to be there on all the rest of my adventures. She never slowed me down. If anything, she wears me out," he smiled.

"She is also the only woman to break your heart," Pax nodded. "Which is what Rosa is to me."

"If you only want her because you think you can't have her," Grey warned, the brotherly instinct kicking in.

Pax shook his head. "If she says no this time, I'll step back. I'll let her go, I promise. I won't ask her again," he assured his best friends. "But I will never stop believing that we're supposed to be together. I wouldn't want to envision a life that didn't include her in it, in some form. And you're right, if I push her too far, I'll lose her completely. And then you two would have to choose sides," he only half-joked.

"I'm afraid I have to side with my sister—I wouldn't necessarily jump ship on you, but I'm also marrying her best friend, so," Grey led.

"Very funny. No one's breaking up the group. We've been through worse. But she is making me sweat this time, I'll admit that."

A light knock came to the door, making all three turn and stare down the door.

"Should we open it?" Jasper asked. "What if it's Ella? You're not allowed to see her until tomorrow, right?"

"So he doesn't open it," Pax agreed.

"Are you going to open it?" Jasper asked.

"Well, one of us has to."

Jasper stood. "I'll do it. The woman I love is on the other side of the world, so I know it's not for me, unless it's my Mum."

The knock came again, slightly harder this time. Jasper moved and opened it deftly. "Ah, are your ears burning?"

Rosa frowned and crossed her arms over her chest. "Should they be?"

"It's the three of us in a room together, what do you think we're doing?"

"Watching porn?" she asked, slightly amused.

"They wouldn't bite," he admitted.

"So, what are the odds I can get you and my brother to take a walk?" she asked.

"Your wish is my command. Grey, let's book."

Grey stood up and moved to stand next to Jasper in the doorway, facing his sister. "Everything okay?" he asked knowingly.

She nodded. "Super duper."

"And when we return, wait—should we return?"

"Give me an hour," she advised.

Grey and Jasper shared another look, and then left Rosa to enter the room on her own. She stepped in and closed the door. Pax stood up from his perch on the chair, not sure if he should speak or not. He figured a little humor couldn't hurt, as long as it wasn't misguided.

"Mini-bar empty already?" he smiled.

She pointed to the bed. "Come, sit."

He took a deep breath. No other girl could pull him in any direction she wanted so easily. He did as she asked and sat next to her on the bed, trying desperately to read her body language. "Can I say something?" he asked.

She looked startled, but nodded. "Go ahead."

"The guys told me I should lay off. And I get that I've asked you a million times, and maybe they're right. Maybe I should leave you alone. I mean, if you really don't want to marry me, I will. But I won't apologize for proposing. I don't regret asking you—no matter how ill prepared you thought I was in the beginning or not—on some level, Rosa, I've always known I wanted to be with you. When we're apart," he shook his head. "It doesn't feel right. I can pretend, we can both move in overlapping circles, but in the end, it always comes down to the fact that I'd rather be with you."

Her eyes grew wider and her expression gave away the fact that she was on the verge of tears. "Ask me again."

He blinked. "What?"

"Propose. One more time. This instant!" she urged.

He dropped down off the edge of the bed, still facing her, on both knees. He took her hand in his and smiled. "Will you marry me?"

She threw her arms around his neck, and then hug tackled him back down to the ground. He laughed, but as her hair fell down around the sides of his face, they got caught in each other's eyes. "Yes. I'll marry you."

He leaned up, hands on her back, pulling his body against hers until his lips connected against her lips, sealing the deal. After a few moments, both seemed to realize they were rolling around on the floor, when there was a perfectly good bed just a foot away, and he sat up, still holding her close to him.

"I feel like I should ask you to pinch me," he finally admitted.

"No changing your mind now," she warned.

"Rumor has it you got a room to yourself," he said as he leaned his back against the bed, her still in his lap.

She smiled. "Well, I figured I might get lucky."

"I think that's safe to say. I love you," he kissed her again.

She kissed him back, then stood up and held out her hand. "Come on. Before Larry and Curly come back," she nodded to the door.

"You don't want to share our good news?" he smiled as he took her hand.

"I think we should let it sink in for ourselves first. We can tell them tomorrow at the reception."

"A private celebration. I'm in," he agreed as they closed the door to the empty room and went to find a little seclusion to revel in their new status.

XXXX

"Something borrowed?" Rory asked.

Ella stood in the living room of her grandmother's house, where she'd come to get dressed before making her way over to the Dragonfly Inn to get married. Her mother and grandmother were standing next to her, making sure she was prepared, despite her dress being on, her hair being done, and her make-up completed. She was the very vision of a bride.

"Your shoes," Ella said, showing a toe of the same shoes her mother had worn on her own walk down the aisle from underneath her dress.

Rory smiled. "Right. Old?"

Ella held out her wrist. "Grandma Elizabeth gave this to me last night, it was her mother's."

Rory dabbed her eyes. "That's so beautiful! Okay. I'm not crying again. Let's move on. Something new?"

Ella blushed and swept back her hair on one side, showing off brilliant three carat diamond stud earrings in a princess cut attached to her earlobes. "Grey gave them to me last night."

"Wow. Okay, that just leaves something blue," Rory nodded.

Ella frowned. "I don't have anything blue."

"Nothing? I thought your engagement ring had sapphire baguettes," Rory pointed out.

Ella held up a bare hand. "But I gave my rings to Jasper for safe keeping, just like Grey handed his over to Rosa. I won't get it back until I've already walked down the aisle," she explained.

"You can't walk down the aisle without something blue!" Rory exclaimed. "Okay. We can figure something out. Let's think."

"Wait!" Lorelai shouted and ran up the steps, taking them two at a time. There was some noise from above them, as she moved something around, and then she emerged at the staircase, looking triumphant. "I forgot I had this. Now, it's not my style, but I think it'll be perfect for today."

She held out an antique hair comb, featuring a delicate peacock fan out of sapphire stones. She stood next to her granddaughter and slid it into place. "There."

"Where did you get that?" Rory asked.

"It was Gran's," she smiled. "The toughest old bird I ever knew. It was actually in one of Dad's cigar humidors, I guess he kept it after she died. I remember her wearing it when I was little. I knew I'd never wear it, but I think she'd love for you to have it," Lorelai hugged her granddaughter. "From one granddaughter to another."

"Thanks Grandma. Okay, I think that's everything. I'm ready to get married," she said with no small amount of awe.

"You are the most beautiful bride I've ever seen," Rory smiled, her face about to burst from the mixture of strong emotions.

"Stop it, Mom, come on. Grandma just fixed my make up again," Ella pleaded. "Let's talk about something else. What's the dirt? I haven't heard anything; everyone's only telling me good news this weekend. It's boring. Dish."

Rory looked to Lorelai, then back at Ella. "Well, there's your brother. We finally figured out what was going on with him."

"Is he dropping out of Columbia?" Ella asked, excitedly.

Rory frowned. "Bite your tongue. He's almost done. No, he's dating Jules."

Ella's mouth dropped open. "That little… that explains it! He kept saying he didn't need to RSVP for his date, and I nearly killed him after explaining how head counts work and why they're necessary," she explained.

Lorelai rolled her eyes. "No man in this family will ever understand the need for planning for any function. If you left it up to them, they'd order a keg and ten pizzas and call it good."

Rory giggled. "Apparently they were quite literally outed when Jess stormed into Jules' room and found Jake hiding in the closet."

"Naked?" Ella's eyes went wide.

"That's what I asked!" Rory giggled. "No, he was in his boxers. Jess probably nearly escaped an aneurysm. Good thing Tristan was there, in case he needed to perform CPR."

"Wait, Tristan and Jess caught them in flagrante delicto?" Lorelai howled, holding her sides. "Stop it, now I'll cry from laughing!"

"They left them alone, eventually, but I'm pretty sure Jess will be giving Jake the evil eye all weekend. And probably for months to come," Rory concluded.

"Wait, why were they hiding it?" Ella asked, not the first to inquire.

Rory waved her hand. "We're not sure. Something about friends with benefits or something at first, but now I guess they're getting serious. Not as serious as proposing a dozen times to no avail," she segued.

Ella groaned. "Don't remind me. Rosa texted to say she'd meet me at the inn, she was running late, so I don't know if they fought or made up, but I just hope they figure it out soon. At this point they need their heads knocked together if they don't stop running from each other soon."

"Spoken like a girl that's been caught," Rory nodded.

"Knock, knock," Tristan said, coming in the front door. "Everyone dressed?"

"Come in, Dad!" Ella called, turning to face her father, who literally stopped the moment he saw her.

"Wow."

She smiled. "Stop it."

"No, I'm serious. You look breathtaking. You certainly can't be my daughter. She's five and loves My Little Ponies second only to ice cream dates with me," he put his hand over his chest, which was outfitted in the most complimentary of suits, showing off his frame perfectly.

"She says she's completely ready," Rory informed him, getting dewy-eyed again.

"Then I guess we should go. Our limo awaits," Tristan held out his arm to his daughter. "Let's see how many Gilmore girls it takes to get that dress into the limo without it touching the ground," he smiled, kissing his daughter's cheek.

"I'll get in first and start drawing it in from the inside," Lorelai said, moving ahead of the rest of them. It took a couple of minutes to get Ella situated in the limo, next to her grandmother. Tristan turned to Rory, outside her childhood home.

"You okay?"

Rory nodded. "It's a big day."

"We've had them before. At least it's a happy occasion."

Rory wiped away an errant tear. "Very happy."

He kissed her softly. "We could have another baby, be like Jess."

She laughed, "Now who's insane? No thanks, I think I'll come to enjoy having you all to myself. Especially now that Jake is with Jules, Jess will keep an eagle eye on him. We could probably take off to Fiji for six months and not wear clothes or check our voicemail."

"I'll book the reservations as soon as we get back," he promised, giving her one last kiss before he opened the car door and offered her his hand to help her in. "After you."

Tristan took one last look around before climbing in the limo and smiling at the three women as he opened a bottle of champagne to share with them all. "All right, away we go."


End file.
